ORLANDO, Fla. – Spring break is underway in Central Florida, but today and tomorrow are looking a little dicey for outdoor plans, especially in the afternoon. We are not talking about a washout, but your best bet will be to get those beach and pool plans in during the morning or early afternoon before storms develop later in the day.
And speaking of the beach, we continue to see a high risk of rip currents along the coast. If you are heading out to enjoy the warm weather, make sure you swim near a lifeguard or simply enjoy the day from the sand.
Storm chances increase later today as the atmosphere becomes more unstable across Central Florida. Numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop between about 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Some of these storms could become strong.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a marginal risk for strong to severe storms today. That is the lowest level on the severe weather scale, but it still means a few storms could briefly become strong.
Our biggest threats will be wind gusts up to around 60 miles per hour and hail about the size of quarters. Storms are expected to move generally from south to north, which means some areas could see repeated rounds of rain.
We are also expecting some beneficial rainfall, which could help chip away at drought conditions across parts of Central Florida. However, if you live in a flood prone area, you could see some minor flooding if storms repeatedly move over the same locations.
High temperatures today will run well above normal for this time of year. Orlando is expected to reach around 86 degrees before storms develop later in the afternoon.
Monday will bring another round of unsettled weather as a strong cold front approaches the region. The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of Central Florida under a Level 1 marginal risk for severe weather once again. The exception is northern Marion County, which is under a Level 2 slight risk.
Just like today, our biggest concerns will be wind gusts up to around 60 miles per hour and hail. The overall threat for tornadoes appears very low, though an isolated spin up cannot be completely ruled out.
High temperatures Monday will still be warm ahead of the front, climbing to around 84 degrees.
Behind the front, a brief blast of winter arrives. By Tuesday morning, temperatures in Orlando will drop to around 48 degrees. That means some of our colder spots north of I 4 could dip into the 30s, especially in parts of Lake and Volusia counties where temperatures tend to cool more quickly overnight.
Tuesday afternoon will feel much cooler compared to the start of the week. High temperatures will struggle to reach the low 60s in many locations.
Wednesday will bring another cool start to the day, with Orlando waking up to a low around 47 degrees before temperatures slowly warm through the afternoon.
High temperatures will gradually warm through the week, climbing back into the upper 70s by the time we reach next weekend.