ORLANDO, Fla. – Love and cool temperatures are in the air this Valentine’s Day before a stronger front moves in by Sunday.
VALENTINE’S DAY
A weak cold front that brought the rain and heat on Thursday will turn stationary just south over Lake Okeechobee on Friday.
In its wake, we’ll see cooler temperatures compared to the rest of the month, with highs in the mid to upper 70s. We can’t completely rule out the chance of a few showers pushing onshore from the Atlantic, keep coverage at 20%. By Friday night, the front will start moving back north as a warm front, with winds shifting southeast behind it, keeping temperatures mild overnight.
WEEKEND
Looking ahead to Saturday and Sunday, the front will move north of the area early Saturday, putting east-Central Florida into a warmer air mass for the weekend. That means temperatures will warm up, with highs reaching the mid 80s inland and near 80 along the coast. A possible Wind Advisory could be issued by Sunday as gusts could reach 30-35 mph.
A strong southerly breeze continues through the weekend, increasing temperatures to near record highs by Sunday in the mid to upper 80s.
A stronger cold front will be approaching by Sunday afternoon, and while there could be some impressive storms in the Panhandle early Sunday, the storm chances for Central Florida look much lower. Expect a 40-50% chance of rain for northern counties in the afternoon to early evening, with lower chances south of Orlando.
NEXT WEEK
From Monday through Thursday, we’ll get a quick blast of cooler air Sunday night and into Monday night behind the front. The coldest temps will be Monday night and Tuesday morning, with lows in the mid to upper 40s north of I-4 and near 50 elsewhere. Frost or freezing temps aren’t expected.
Highs on Monday will remain below average in the mid to upper 60s.
Models show low pressure developing along a cold front in the northern Gulf, and this will bring another cold front on Wednesday night into Thursday, with rain chances between 40-60% across the area.
Severe weather potential remains uncertain for now.