Will it be wet and cold again in Florida? Holiday looks like a repeat, but adds a risk
Did you enjoy last weekend’s mix of flooding rains and high tides, followed by a cold front with a 59-degree low in Miami?
Then you will be happy to know this:
Paxton Fell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, wants you to prepare for a possible repeat this week.
When will the weather turn?
The changes begin with the possibility of a few quick-moving, short-lived thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon.
Overall, the rain chance is still low at 20% Wednesday, with temperatures ranging from a high of 80 to a low of 75. Breezy winds will come in at 18 mph.
Thanks to high tides, though, the weather service issued a coastal flood statement for Miami-Dade, Broward and the middle and upper Keys that will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon. The alert cites the potential for minor flooding, which could swamp low-lying roads.
But it’s on Veterans Day, Thursday, that the tide turns more like last week.
That’s because thunderstorm chances “increase substantially Thursday through Friday across South Florida ahead of an approaching cold front,” Fell said in her hazardous weather report.
Veterans Day sees a 50% chance, increasing to 60% Thursday night into Friday, then dropping to 40% Saturday.
By then, the cold front will dip temperatures to a low of 64 degrees by Sunday morning — not quite as chilly as the previous Sunday. The chill, and its dry air, will linger into Tuesday, with temperatures a comfy 10-degree run from mid-60s to mid-70s under sunny skies.
Bradenton is better
The Tampa Bay area won’t be nearly so wet. According to meteorologists in Bradenton, rain chances are just 30% on Veterans Day and Friday, with a nice cool, clear weekend in the forecast. The difference? It’s cooler. Expect lows of 52 degrees Sunday and Monday mornings.
Rip currents on the holiday
You may want to play on Veterans Day if you have the day off. But if your plans include taking to the beach or open waters, be careful.
Waves are running at four to seven feet, making for hazardous marine conditions Wednesday and Thursday. Though the weather service says these rough seas should gradually subside as the weekend nears, the conditions along South Florida and Orlando beaches merit caution.
Expect dangerous rip currents and high surf.
What to do if caught in rip current
Despite the forecast, it can storm one minute and clear the next in South Florida. You may still find the beach beckoning and head to the water for a quick dip. But if you get yourself stuck in a rip current, you can still safely emerge by heeding expert’s advice.
▪ Don’t panic.
▪ Relax and float.
▪ Don’t swim against the current.
▪ Swim in a direction following the shoreline until you are free of the current’s tug. Then, head to shore and walk back to your blanket.
▪ If you are unable to escape the water’s pull, face the shore and call or wave for help. If you swam near a lifeguard station, as the weather center always warns, you’ll be in a better position for a rescue.
