Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FRPNE) Storm Center | By Irene Sans
The same storm system has brought rounds of heavy snow and has opened the air to frigid temperatures, many reaching cold records across the Central Plains, will continue to move east and drag a cold front that will bring the chance for some storms across the Panhandle and North Florida late Wednesday night into Thursday. Some isolated storms could pass through Central Florida by Wednesday afternoon as the cold front pushes through the Peninsula. When the cold front gets closer to South Florida, there will be even fewer chances for isolated thunderstorms by Thursday morning. Nonetheless, a few showers could still fall across the southern area of the Sunshine State.
The big news about this front is that temperatures will be cold across North Florida, coldish across Central Florida, and cooler in South Florida. This is a much-welcome change as high temperatures were more on par with the average temperatures much of Florida would have in April or May.
The coldest temperatures will be across the entire state on Friday morning. Across the Panhandle, some temperatures will be around the upper 20s to low 30s, and a few spots could develop a freeze or frost. For Central Florida, low temperatures will be between the low 40s and mid-40s, with the coldest range dominating the rural areas. For South Florida, low temperatures will be between the upper 50s and low 60s, with a few spots over Southwest Florida in the low-50s.
As the cold air settles in Thursday, it promises to be coolish in the afternoon in North Florida. But for the rest of the state, the coldest afternoons will be Friday and Saturday. Central Florida, along the I-4 corridor, will struggle to reach the mid-60s on Friday afternoon, With some spots into the upper 60s, mainly along the southern fringe from Melbourne through Sarasota. For South Florida, high temperatures will stay in the low 70s on Friday and Saturday afternoons—all these are temperatures below normal for this time of year, between 5-15 below average during the afternoon hours, while the lows will be up to 22 degrees below average for the Panhandle on Friday morning. Temperatures are forecast to remain below average for this time of year throughout the weekend into early next week.
Remember that there will be strong winds after the cold front passes. The northern winds will keep very dry air in place, which could make some of these cool temperatures feel slightly cooler. Also, the strong winds will bring hazardous marine conditions with seas that could be elevated on Friday and Saturday. Several small craft advisories could be in effect along the East Coast Beaches and the Gulf Coast.
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