Thanksgiving is next week, although temperatures in Florida make it difficult to get into the holiday spirit.
Expect this to change very quickly as temperatures drop nearly 20 degrees in some locations this week.
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➤ Tropical Watch, November 18: Remnants of former Tropical Storm Sara may hit Florida
That’s right. A cold front is approaching and, depending on where you live in Florida, temperatures could drop more than 15 degrees overall this week and drop nearly 20 degrees between daytime highs and nighttime lows.
Don’t expect freezing temperatures, though. The state’s lowest temperatures are expected in the Panhandle and North Florida, and are expected to remain above 40 degrees.
Weather Forecast for Florida: Temperatures will drop this week as the cold front moves through
Timing: See what and when to expect as the cold front moves through Florida
Western Panhandle: The cold front will clear the area Wednesday morning, but as it approaches and moves through you can expect the following:
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Rain: Expect the bulk of rain after 3 a.m. Tuesday. While the heaviest rain is expected to continue to fall over the Gulf, “we still expect a fire hose of water to pour into the area Tuesday morning, with heavy rain likely through the afternoon hours. Widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches are possible with the higher amounts are possible in our southeastern Mississippi and coastal Alabama counties,” the National Weather Service Mobile said. Tuesday “will probably be one of the wettest days we’ve experienced in recent months.”
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Wind: Monday afternoon the wind can be a bit gusty at times. Wind gusts of 20 to 25 km/h are expected overland this afternoon.
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Small vessels: Seas in excess of 2 meters as winds increase to over 20 knots.
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Rip currents: Surf will increase to 3-4 feet Monday, with 5-7 foot breaks Monday evening and Tuesday.
Panhandle, Tallahassee, Big Bend: A few light showers through Monday afternoon, but the bulk of the rain will arrive Tuesday morning as the remnants of Tropical Storm Sara move north and interact with a cold front. “This appears to be our first taste of fall weather in Florida.” To expect:
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Rain: 2-2.3 inches starting Tuesday, with a chance of flash flooding Tuesday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service Tallahassee. Locally higher quantities possible, especially in the coastal provinces. Across the Big Bend, probably an inch or two. A few severe storms are possible, especially in the Florida Panhandle and southeastern Alabama counties.
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Wind: Strong to heavy wind gusts appear to pose the greatest threat at the moment.
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Tornadoes: A tornado or two cannot be ruled out along the Florida Panhandle coast.
Northeast Florida: Temperatures on Monday will be above normal for this time of year. The cold front is expected to move across Northeast Florida Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville. To expect:
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Rain: Rain chances increase after 1 a.m. Tuesday and continue until early Wednesday afternoon.
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Wind: Wind speeds could reach 16 km/h on Wednesday
East Coast of Florida: Near above normal high temperatures expected through mid-week, with much cooler air expected late week behind the cold front. According to the National Weather Service, Melbourne, the front will move from east to southeast across east-central Florida by mid-week.
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Rain: Spread over numerous showers that may lead to heavy rainfall. Rain chances increase on Tuesday evening and Wednesday. Rain totals are expected to be 0.40-1 inch.
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Wind: Wind gusts up to 25 mph are expected late Tuesday night through Wednesday.
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Fern: Boating conditions will worsen as the front approaches local Atlantic waters on Wednesday and will remain poor to dangerous behind the front until late in the week.
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Feeling temperature: Minimum wind chill values in the upper 30s to mid 40s are forecast each morning north of Martin and southeastern St. Lucie counties west of I-95.
South Florida: According to the National Weather Service Miami, moisture from the remains of Sara will “likely solidify,” creating a series of showers and isolated thunderstorms Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning. To expect:
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Rain: Heavy showers, short heavy rain showers.
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Fern: Atlantic waters 2-4 feet; Gulf waters 1-3 feet.
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Rip currents: A high risk of rip currents remains for the Palm Beaches.
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Coastal flooding: Minor coastal flooding is possible during high tides along the Atlantic coast.
West Coast: Monday and Tuesday are expected to be warm and rain-free, with temperatures a handful of degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service Tampa Bay. The coldest temperatures appear to be Saturday and Sunday mornings after the cold front has moved through. To expect:
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Thunderstorms: The chance of thunderstorms increases mid-week. Numerous showers and thunderstorms with some strong storms possible.
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Rip currents: On the Gulf Coast, the risk of rip currents could increase by mid-week.
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Coastal flooding: Minor coastal flooding is possible during high tides along the Gulf Coast.
Cold front in Florida: How low will temperatures drop?
Use the slider on the right side of the map to compare the expected low temperatures of Tuesday, November 19th with the temperatures on Saturday, November 23rd.
Florida Weather: Daily high temperatures will drop as the cold front arrives
Use the slider on the right side of the map to compare the expected high temperatures on Tuesday, November 19th with the temperatures on Saturday, November 23rd.
Weather warnings issued in Florida
Watches and advice:
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Coastal Flood Advisory from 6:00 PM Monday to 6:00 AM CST Tuesday.
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High rip current risk until Wednesday afternoon.
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High Surf Advisory from 9pm Monday to 6am CST Wednesday.
Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 72; low 50
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Thursday: High 63; layer 49
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Saturday: High 63; layer 51
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 77; layer 47
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Thursday: High 62; layer 43
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Saturday: High 64; layer 44
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 77; low 50
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Thursday: High 64; layer 47
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Saturday: High 65; layer 46
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 79; layer 53
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Thursday: High 67; layer 47
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Saturday: High 66; layer 49
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 81; layer 59
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Thursday: High 71; layer 49
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Saturday: High 70s; layer 51
Follow the National Weather Service Melbourne on X, formerly known as Twitter
Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 81; low 60
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Thursday: High 72; layer 49
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Saturday: High 71; low 50
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 80s; layer 68
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Thursday: High 72; layer 59
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Saturday: High 71; layer 61
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 81; layer 63
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Thursday: High 74; layer 57
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Saturday: High 73; layer 55
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 79; layer 62
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Thursday: High 72; layer 53
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Saturday: High 73; layer 52
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Prediction:
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Wednesday: High 79; layer 62
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Thursday: High 70s; low 60
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Saturday: High 70s; layer 55
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida cold front: Cooler temps on the way
