ORLANDO, Fla. – A cold front has moved south of the area, bringing cooler temperatures this morning with wake-up temperatures in the mid to upper 40s north of I-4, and in the 50s further south through most of east-Central Florida.
Northeasterly winds at around 10-15 mph will continue bringing cooler and drier air, with afternoon highs staying below normal in the mid-to-upper 60s under mostly sunny skies.
Winds will die down through Tuesday with highs returning to the low to mid-70s while we remain mostly dry.
Looking ahead this week, models show an area of low pressure forming near the northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday, moving east and across northern Florida by Wednesday afternoon.
As the system approaches, rain chances will increase with rain chances ranging between 60-80%. This low will bring a strong cold front through the area Wednesday night, with rain tapering off by midnight as drier air moves in. Instability remains low, keeping lightning chances low. Temperatures will rise to the upper 70s to mid-80s on Wednesday, but drop back into the 50s behind the front Wednesday night.
High pressure will settle over the central U.S., keeping northerly winds and below-normal temperatures in place for Thursday. Expect highs in the 60s across most of the area.
The coldest temperatures of the week will be Thursday night into Friday morning, with lows in the 40s, and low to mid-50s along the coast and barrier islands.
The cool and comfortable weather continues through Friday with highs in the 60s to low 70s, with winds gradually shifting to the northeast. Lows on Friday night will be in the 50s, except for mid to upper 40s northwest of I-4. It will stay dry through the end of the week.
For the weekend, forecast details are a little uncertain due to differences in the models. However, temperatures will likely remain slightly below-normal, with highs in the mid to upper 60s in the northern half of east-Central Florida, and low to mid-70s further south.
Rain chances will increase over the weekend, with the GFS model suggesting more rain than the Euro. For now, the forecast leans toward a 20-30% chance of rain, but we’ll have to keep an eye on it.