Siesta Key Beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Siesta Key, FL · Tampa Bay Beaches, United States · 27.267, -82.553
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade B-, sea 77°F.
Veabird's call
Monday gives B+ with calm 1.8 ft water and 13% rain, better than Friday.
See Floyd Nation at Van Wezel Nov 18, 5 mi away, if seaweed lingers.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
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Questions about Siesta Key Beach
Does Siesta Key Beach get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. Here the typical-year risk is moderate or higher in July and peaks in July (moderate). How much lands varies a lot by year, wind and currents.
What are the worst and best months for seaweed at Siesta Key Beach?
Worst: June and July, though even then the typical risk is moderate. Best: August through June, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Siesta Key Beach?
About 74°F in November. The sea is warmest in July (about 89°F) and coolest in January (about 63°F).
When is the best time to visit Siesta Key Beach?
For warm water, low seaweed and less rain, aim for May, June, September and October. September is usually the quietest of those, with about 22 rainy days and a sea near 87°F; seaweed risk is low.
Are there sargassum barriers or beach cleanups at Siesta Key Beach?
Offshore barriers in Tampa Bay Beaches: none deployed offshore. Public cleanup: Pinellas County mechanical raking; seaweed left to decompose on low-traffic beaches. Typical clearing time: 1–2 days.
When is hurricane season at Siesta Key Beach, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. A tropical storm passed within 86 miles of Siesta Key Beach in 17 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 4. The riskiest stretch is around August 27, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 3%; across all of September it is about 10%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
Sargassum season at Siesta Key Beach Resorts
Sargassum risk at Siesta Key Beach Resorts typically peaks around July (moderate: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 25% of weeks). Lowest-risk months: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November and December. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 20% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 37% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 27%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 250°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.
Tampa Bay month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Tampa Bay.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Siesta Key Beach Resorts
Average highs run from about 70°F in January to 89°F in June, July and August. The sea is warmest in July (about 89°F) and coolest in January (about 63°F). February is usually the driest, with about 5 rainy days; July is the wettest, with about 26 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°F | 63°F | 8 | Very low |
| Feb | 75°F | 64°F | 5 | Very low |
| Mar | 79°F | 70°F | 8 | Low |
| Apr | 83°F | 75°F | 8 | Low |
| May | 87°F | 83°F | 14 | Low |
| Jun | 89°F | 87°F | 22 | Low |
| Jul | 89°F | 89°F | 26 | Moderate |
| Aug | 89°F | 88°F | 25 | Low |
| Sep | 87°F | 87°F | 22 | Low |
| Oct | 84°F | 80°F | 11 | Very low |
| Nov | 79°F | 74°F | 7 | Very low |
| Dec | 74°F | 67°F | 6 | Very low |
Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- None deployed offshore.
- Public cleanup
- Pinellas County mechanical raking; seaweed left to decompose on low-traffic beaches.
- Resort crews
- Beachfront hotels rake morning of heavy wrack days.
- Typical clearing time
- 1–2 days
Safety notes
US domestic
- Red tide episodes possible; check FWC.
- Strong rip currents near passes (Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater Pass).
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Siesta Key, FL
- Salvador Dalí Museum (St. Petersburg)
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Fort De Soto Park
- Busch Gardens Tampa
- Siesta Key sand
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Siesta Key Beach Resorts. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Sarasota–Bradenton Intl (SRQ), ~14 km
- Tampa Intl (TPA), ~79 km
Nearby resorts
- Sandcastle Resort at Lido Beach Sarasota, FL · 4 km
- Lido Beach Resort Sarasota, FL · 6 km
- Cirque St Armands Beachside Sarasota, FL · 6 km
- The Resort at Longboat Key Club Longboat Key, FL · 13 km
- Zota Beach Resort Longboat Key, FL · 15 km
- Venice Beach Resorts Venice, FL · 21 km
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