ORLANDO, Fla. – Hold on to your jackets over the coming days, because winds will kick up and temperatures are going to nose dive just like your favorite Central Florida roller coaster.
While Christmas was absolutely gorgeous, as far away from a “white Christmas” as we could possibly be here in town, New Year’s Eve promises to deliver a return of the winter season. This could very well be the coldest weather we’ve seen since getting into the end of 2025.
I suppose it is fitting we end the year with a weather flip as extravagant as the fireworks we hope to see when the ball drops on Wednesday night.
You absolutely want to plan accordingly for the week ahead. In fact, I’d suggest you begin prepping now by getting plenty of rest, upping your vitamins, and if you have time during this winter break get some light to moderate exercise in to prime your immune system.
We’ll be shellshocked with how quick temperatures will fall between Monday and Wednesday. Wind speeds will get rocking as well with the progression of the high pressure system bringing this polar conditions down, which will result in freezing if not below freezing feels like temps for a large majority of us.
Your Monday will once again begin with some dense fog across Central Florida. This morning my neighborhood was down to maybe 100 yards of visibility the fog was so immense through parts of northeastern Polk County and extreme West Osceola.
High pressure just off our west coast meandering about and lots of moisture in the low levels to work with means we’ll definitely have a good shot of seeing a repeat, so be careful if you are on the roads tomorrow morning.
It certainly took its time to lift as well, with visibility finally clearing just after the 10 a.m. time frame.
Then we watch the incoming cold front sweep across the state. It will be moving fast, entering our viewing area between 7-9 p.m. and being out of here by midnight, no later than 1 a.m. We may catch a very isolated straggler of a rain shower, but most models show we are way too dry above the low levels of our atmosphere to produce noticeable much needed rainfall.
This does concern me, as drought conditions are quickly ramping up throughout the state just as forecast many months ago with the onset of La Nina in the Pacific. We can talk about that another time.
With the front working through so fast, and high pressure back behind it accelerating as it does so not only will temperatures descend into below average territory fast but our winds will immediately flip as if you just turned on your bedroom ceiling fan.
Feels like temperatures are going to be freezing. Northern counties, especially the morning of New Year’s Eve, could wake up between 25-30 degrees since winds will be blowing excessively out of the north.
We’ll be near freezing here in Orlando, so we aren’t out of the woods like last time either.
Tuesday will be the beginning of the temperature drop-off with coldest conditions settling in Wednesday and Wednesday night, just in time for New Years plans.
However, some positive news – winds will taper as we get into the evening as high pressure slows down and eventually goes stagnant over the Gulf. So while the air temperatures won’t be pleasant like we saw through Christmas, at least the wind won’t be cutting through you!
I highly encourage you intentionally plan your outfit with layers. This will protect you from any leftover winds the evening of New Year’s Eve and even before that Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Thursday and on we begin our natural warming trend as the high begins to modify over the warmer Gulf waters.
These are the type of dramatic weather shifts that knock your immune system around, so be cautious while outdoors. You don’t want to kick start the new year with a bug, especially if you have some physical and fitness goals you want to attack head on.