ORLANDO, Fla. – When I wrote Florida was finished with winter, I didn’t think Mother Nature would take it literally.
Our temperatures have been on the rise consistently since the first weekend of the month. It’s as if we turned the calendar from February to May.
When you stepped outside you could probably feel the air quite literally sitting on you. I know I did. The first second I walked out of my front door to start my day, I said aloud, “Why’s it so hot out here?”
Some of us also wandered into their Tuesday morning packed with dense fog. High pressure, mostly clear skies and high amounts of humidity, all contribute to our rising thermostat. And we’re only going up from here.
In fact, as temperatures continue to climb, we’re getting closer and closer to setting a few records. It makes you wonder if this year will be filled with historic and record-breaking weather phenomena. January already left its mark, will February do the same?
The earliest arrival of 90-degree temps in Central Florida is currently set on the 15th of this month. Right now, we’re pinpointing potential 90-degree high temperatures in Orlando by Thursday!
This would also be a record in of itself, reaching 90 degrees during this time of year.
The heat index will certainly remind us all we live in the Sunshine State. Models predict the “feels like” temp could certainly meet the 90-degree mark, even in Volusia or Flagler counties.
The best part about all this is the RAPID decline in temperatures slated to occur as we move past race day on Sunday.
With all this warmth building in, naturally the atmosphere has to respond. This response comes in the form of our next winter storm brewing over the Plains, and draping a cold front across the Southeast through Central Florida that COULD actually cause some rain delays for NASCAR fans come the Daytona 500.
Then, thankfully for some, we retrograde back to about average -- if not below average -- as we get into the second half of February.
The pattern does get a bit dicey looking further out as well, so stay tuned for the latest. You definitely want to watch the evolution of winter for the rest of February.
