ORLANDO, Fla. – A major warmup is underway in Florida, sending temperatures well above normal by the weekend.
But it won’t last long because a new cold front is set to sweep into Central Florida late this weekend, bringing a quick return to cooler, more winter-like air.
[VIDEO BELOW: Deputy rescues woman from burning home]
TUESDAY
The high pressure that’s been keeping us comfortable is sliding off the Southeast coast, turning our winds more onshore. Along this breeze, a few light showers are possible while the rest of the area remains mostly dry.
Afternoon highs will reach the mid- to upper 70s for most areas, running a touch above normal.
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THIS WEEK
From Wednesday through Friday, the warming trend becomes more noticeable as our winds veer more southerly. That shift opens the door to the warmest stretch we’ve seen since early November.
Most of the area will be in the 80s from Wednesday through Saturday.
While the sunshine may feel nice, the extended dry stretch will allow drought conditions and fire weather concerns to increase through the week.
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WEEKEND
The weekend will start off unseasonably warm on Saturday with highs nearing record levels -- in the upper 80s -- before winter weather returns.
Forecast models are in good agreement that a new cold front will push through Central Florida on Sunday.
There’s still some uncertainty in exactly how much rain develops along and ahead of the front, but for now rain chances sit around 20-30%.
[VIDEO BELOW: Sunday storms pass through Central Florida]
NEXT WEEK
Behind the front, a noticeable cooldown settles in Monday, with afternoon highs expected to drop 5 to 10 degrees below average, into the 60s, by Monday and lows in the 30s Tuesday morning.