ORLANDO, Fla. – What is already a pretty bizarre setup of cold weather and tropical remnants continues to march its way toward our area. Floridians should anticipate a very soggy and perhaps thundery morning to start the day Wednesday before temperatures really come down with the arrival of our first winter-style front.
Let’s set the stage first. We all remember Tropical Storm Sara, and I am certain in one way, shape, or form you heard through the grapevine it was headed for Florida. Technically, this wasn’t wrong. It just won’t be arriving in the type of fashion you may have been told initially.
Sara dissipated entirely over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico before being pulled north into the western Gulf of Mexico as a mess of tropical showers and heavy rain.
Now it is fully fused with an approaching cold front that carries behind it polar high pressure and cold temperatures reaching near freezing. This is the recipe for a very dynamic bout of weather.
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The leftover spin from Sara is actually what’s going to help instigate an even greater punch with this wave of cold air coming down across Florida and the entirety of the Gulf of Mexico. Believe it or not, it is very possible for tropical cyclones, even those no longer organized, to help tug and pull down more cold air from higher latitudes. Remember the weather we all felt after Milton?
As such, we’re likely going to marinate in temperatures from 65 to 70 degrees during the HOTTEST parts of the day. Overnight lows will likely recede to near 40 for some in the northern Florida peninsula. Currently, we are pinpointing the coldest temperatures to arrive by Saturday and Sunday morning so make sure you have your winter attire dusted off and ready to rock for the weekend.
The best part (maybe not for everyone); these conditions will be in place for several days to come, even after the weekend has come and gone.
Believe it or not, this is a bit of a rarity for the Sunshine State. Usually, we’re cooling down to the 40s and then some by Christmas time. Granted, Thanksgiving is a tad bit late this year but regardless, the data reveals this is a fairly infrequent occurrence.
The last time Florida dipped this low into wintry-style conditions was nearly 20 years ago! November 2008 was the last time Florida saw a polar plunge this early into the back end of the calendar year.
But wait, the plot thickens even from here.
In November 2008, this was also the longest stretch of cool weather Florida dealt with.
We haven’t dealt with temperatures this low ever since, and we’re about to do it all over again after the front arrives Wednesday morning. It’s almost as if there’s a rhythm or a cycle to Mother Nature. You just have to look very carefully for the bread crumbs she leaves behind.
