Beach Today — Panama City Beach
Safety information comes first. Conditions can change between updates; posted flags, lifeguards, and local officials always control.
1. Official beach flag
Posted flags are the official status
Check the flag at your access point before entering the Gulf
This page will not guess or reuse an old flag. Absence of a flag does not mean safe water.
Open official PCB flag guidance
Text PCBFLAGS to 888777 for City of Panama City Beach flag-change alerts.
Flag meanings and actions
- Double red: water closed to the public — do not enter.
- Red: high hazard — stay out unless local officials explicitly advise otherwise.
- Yellow: medium hazard — use extra caution; weak swimmers should stay out.
- Green: low hazard — exercise caution; rip currents can still occur.
- Purple: dangerous marine life — ask a lifeguard what is present.
2. NWS rip-current risk
NWS surf-zone forecast
Moderate rip-current risk
Life-threatening rip currents are possible. Swim only near a lifeguard and follow local flags.
Issued Sep 15, 10:31 AM CDT · updated about 4 hours ago · Fetched Sep 15, 2:23 PM CDT
3. Heat and UV risk
Heat index
102°F — use extra caution, shade, and frequent hydration.
Air 92°F · Humidity 56%
Maximum UV
9 — very high to extreme; seek shade and use strong sun protection.
Fetched Sep 15, 2:23 PM CDT
4. Surf, wind, water, and rain
Visitor-facing surf
Around 1 foot.
NWS PCB surf-zone forecast; use this instead of the distant buoy.
Wind
ESE 10 mph
NWS forecast for Panama City Beach
Rain chance
10%
This Afternoon
Regional offshore buoy context
NDBC buoy 42039 is a deep-water regional proxy located 115 nautical miles south-southeast of Pensacola, not a near-shore PCB measurement. Its 1-foot reading is supplementary context only and is not converted into a shoreline condition label.
5. Tides and June grass estimate
Today's tides
June grass estimate
Moderate likelihood
This is an estimated seasonal likelihood from water temperature and wind, not an official measurement or a direct observation.
Submit a moderated visitor observation
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Sources and freshness
- Location: Panama City Beach, Florida; NOAA water station 8729210 at Russell-Fields Pier.
- NWS weather observation: Sep 15, 2:00 PM CDT · updated 23 minutes ago · fetched Sep 15, 2:23 PM CDT.
- NWS surf-zone forecast: updated about 4 hours ago.
- Water observation: stale — not displayed as current.
- Stale thresholds: weather/water 3 hours, surf forecast 18 hours, UV 24 hours, offshore buoy 6 hours.