Miami’s first cold front of the season follows storms and heat. How cold will it get?
Severe thunderstorms. Temperatures in the ‘90s. Temperatures in the ‘60s.
Summer and fall all in one weather week ahead.
Here’s what’s going on, according to National Weather Service in Miami meteorologist Chris Caracozza.
Wet Wednesday weather
What’s bringing the storms? A low-pressure system pushes across northern Florida Wednesday night and it will pull a stationary front that is over South Florida across the area as a warm front. Think of it like dragging a long cape behind you as you move forward.
The effect will bring plentiful showers and thunderstorms — an 80% forecast — across the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon, and 70% in the Florida Keys Wednesday, according to the weather service.
Highest risk area: The strong to severe storms are expected to be strongest in the northern portions of the forecast area, including Palm Beach, Hendry and Glades counties near the Lake Okeechobee region. But South Florida could see some nasty business.
Potential impacts: Gusty winds of 35 to 50 mph, locally damaging gusts up to 60 mph within isolated severe storms, according to the center. Cloud to ground lightning. Heavy rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, with locally higher amounts between 3 and 4 inches possible during repeated heavy rains. Coastal flooding is possible in the Keys into the late morning Wednesday.
Timing: Thunderstorms will begin during the early Wednesday afternoon hours, moving from south to north through the area into the evening hours, forecasters said.
When does the sun return? Thursday through the weekend should be mostly sunny. Rain chances drop to 20%, with a 30% to 40% chance of showers over the weekend.
Post-storm heat wave
Along with the Wednesday storms, a warm frontal boundary moves north through the area, Caracozza told the Miami Herald. “That’s basically the trigger point for the storms today.”
How hot? The front pushes temperatures above 90 Thursday into Saturday through South Florida. The heat index values will be much higher, Caracozza said. High enough for heat index alerts? The feels-like temperature would have to reach and hold 105 or higher. It’s too soon to tell and would be monitored on a day-to-day basis, Caracozza said.
Cold front
A front moving through Florida should pass through the South Florida area some time Saturday night into Sunday.
“Behind that, high pressure will build in and it’ll bring in that northerly flow, that drier air, and hopefully some cooler temperatures,” Caracozza said.
How cool? Upper-60s as a low Monday night and Tuesday. “We’re still five days out from this so that’s still uncertain,” Caracozza said. “So that’s subject to change, but it does look like cooler and drier weather is on the way.” Monday and Tuesday highs will just flirt with 80, according to the forecast.
