ORLANDO, Fla. – The chilly air has definitely made its presence known this morning with wake-up temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s, about 20-25 degrees colder than Wednesday morning! With a strong north breeze in the mix, some areas early Thursday morning felt about 5-6 degrees colder than the actual temperature.
Despite lots of sunshine today, those north-northeast winds will keep the cooler air around. Highs will be in the low 60s, or maybe even upper 50s in places northwest of I-4, which is about 5-10 degrees below normal for mid-December.
Thursday night, temperatures will drop into the upper 40s to low 50s inland, especially in the northern areas, while places near the coast will stay warmer, in the upper 50s to low-60s.
WEEKEND:
Looking ahead to the weekend, high pressure will build over Florida, strengthening the onshore breeze along the coast from Friday into Saturday.
As moisture builds in from the ocean, we’ll see a few more clouds with a few isolated sprinkles possible along the coast. Temperatures will start warming up again, reaching the 70s on Friday and into the mid to upper 70s by Sunday.
COASTAL HAZARDS:
Beaches will be dangerous Thursday, with strong north-northeast winds creating a powerful current going south. The risk of rip currents will be high, especially in the afternoon when the winds shift more to the northeast. Beach and boating conditions will be even more hazardous this weekend, with large waves expected, especially on Saturday and Sunday.
Minor beach erosion could also happen around high tide.
NEXT WEEK:
Early next week, temperatures will be slightly above normal as we move into the third week of December, thanks to high pressure in place.
Although another cold front is expected to approach Florida on Tuesday, models show it likely weakening on its approach with only a slight dip in temperatures into the mid 70s.
Looking down range, there looks to be a chance chance of a stronger cold front later in the week, which could bring temperatures cooler than average just in time for Christmas holiday.
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