ORLANDO, Fla. – Wednesday night through Thursday, high pressure aloft remains in control across the Gulf Coast and Southeast, keeping Central Florida mostly dry.
At the surface, high pressure over the Southeast U.S. will gradually shift southward over the peninsula by Christmas Day, leading to light north to northeast winds generally under 10 mph.
Moisture will remain limited, with dry air in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere. However, onshore flow combined with a weak backdoor front may allow for a brief sprinkle or isolated light shower to move onshore from the Atlantic, mainly across the Treasure Coast tonight. Most inland areas will stay dry.
Patchy fog is expected late tonight into early Thursday morning, especially along and north of the I-4 corridor. Additional fog is possible again Thursday night into Friday morning. If traveling during foggy conditions, slow down and use low-beam headlights.
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Temperatures will remain seasonable to slightly above normal. Highs will reach the mid to upper 70s both today and Christmas Day. Overnight lows will dip into the 50s inland, with upper 50s to low 60s near the coast.
Friday through Sunday:
An upper-level trough will deepen across the eastern U.S. through the weekend while surface high pressure remains nearby. Winds will gradually turn westerly on Friday, then west to northwest over the weekend, remaining generally light. Daily sea breezes will still develop along the coast during the afternoons.
Dry weather will continue through the weekend with no significant rain chances. Temperatures will stay above normal for late December, with afternoon highs in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees and overnight lows mainly in the 50s.
Monday into Tuesday:
A stronger cold front is expected to move through Central Florida on Monday. While the front currently looks mostly dry for inland areas, a few showers will be possible over the Atlantic waters. Behind the front, much cooler and drier air will move in.
Highs will remain near normal on Monday in the mid to upper 70s, but temperatures will fall sharply by Tuesday, with highs ranging from the mid to upper 50s north to the mid 60s south. Overnight lows will drop into the 30s and 40s, with chilly wind chills possible early Tuesday morning, especially across northern inland areas.