ORLANDO, Fla. – The countdown is on! Through the middle of December, several big cold fronts have plunged down the peninsula but will that trend continue? While it’s too early for specifics, the overall weather pattern leading up to Christmas is starting to become more clear.
Over the next 10 days, up to the week of Christmas, a ridge of high pressure looks to build for the western U.S. Meantime in the east, a trough of low pressure looks to dig into the Deep South.
This pattern allows warmth to build in the west and colder air to move south.
It is looking more and more likely that a shot of cold air will blast back into Central Florida during the days leading up to Christmas.
That means if you’re doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, be prepared to have the heavy coat ready as temperatures could be running anywhere from 15 to 20 degrees below average.
While there is still some wiggle room in the timeline, it appears by Christmas in Central Florida, temperatures will start to rebound.
If that timing holds, it is likely to be a pretty seasonable holiday with highs in the 70s and Christmas morning in the 50s.
Travel Outlook:
At this point, a lot of the country looks to be quiet in the days leading up to Christmas. The west will be mild, with the exception of the mountains, and the east will be cold.
The main trouble spot to keep an eye on will be the Northeast. The system ushering in the cold into Central Florida during the Dec. 20th-22nd timeframe will be cranking up along the Northeast I-95 corridor.
Most of the precipitation in the big cities looks to fall as rain, but snow will be possible for interior New England.
Take any long range forecast with a grain of salt, however, indications for building ridge in the west and trough in the east are growing.
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