ORLANDO, Fla. – Rain is finally on the way, but it comes with a big frigid tradeoff.
Central Florida will see a brief round of much-needed showers, but it will quickly be followed by a sharp surge of cold air that could bring the coldest temperatures we have seen in years.
WEDNESDAY
Clouds continue to increase as moisture lifts north from south Florida and a stationary front moves toward the area. Isolated to scattered showers are possible Wednesday morning, especially near the coast, but most locations will stay dry much of the day.
As temperatures warm into the upper 60s, westerly winds will pick up with gusts near 15 to 20 mph.
OVERNIGHT
After midnight, a fast-moving cold front sweeps through with scattered showers continuing into early Thursday.
Rain totals generally range from a tenth to a quarter-inch, with a few isolated higher amounts possible.
THURSDAY
Showers quickly push offshore Thursday morning, followed by clearing skies and a surge of much colder and drier air.
Gusty northwest winds develop and will make the day feel colder than the actual temperature.
Highs struggle to reach 60 north of I-4, with low to mid-60s elsewhere.
FRIDAY
Temperatures fall quickly Thursday night, setting the stage for the coldest morning in years.
By Friday morning, near- to below-freezing temperatures are expected across much of interior Central Florida, with upper 20s in Marion, Lake and Sumter counties.
With these temperatures, a Freeze Watch has been issued for all of Central Florida, with the exception of Brevard’s barrier islands.
Wind chills dip into the 20s and low 30s, which may prompt Cold Weather Advisories and freeze related alerts.
Even with sunshine Friday afternoon, highs remain chilly in the 50s north and low 60s south.
WEEKEND
Cold conditions linger into the weekend, with frost possible Saturday morning. Temperatures briefly rebound Saturday afternoon, but another dry cold front moves through Sunday night, reinforcing the cool pattern.
NEXT WEEK
Early next week brings another round of cold mornings with lows again flirting with freezing and brisk winds pushing wind chills into the 20s and 30s by Monday.