Big chill (the 50s!) on the way for spring breakers in South Beach. First up is Orlando
Spring Breakers, did you pack a sweater with your bathing suits?
Wednesday’s forecast from the National Weather Service in Miami predicts a few isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening in South Florida and the Florida Keys. A high risk of rip currents continues for all Atlantic beaches Wednesday, too.
Then South Florida gets a taste of what Disney and Universal guests in Orlando didn’t enjoy very much Wednesday and Thursday. This batch of Orlando bad weather takes a look at Spring Breakers in Miami Beach and other South Florida parts and plans a visit later this week — all part of a cold front expected to drop temperatures to the upper 50s, low 60s by the weekend.
Thunderstorms are expected to increase ahead of the cold front starting Thursday and continuing into Friday.
These storms aren’t currently forecast to be as severe as the mid-week Orlando batch but will still carry an 80% chance of wet weather on South Beach Thursday night and Friday morning with wind gusts just over 20 mph. The rain chance is less in Key West — 50%.
However, South Florida’s particular threat, according to the weather service, is that conditions suggest an elevated fire weather risk. Wednesday and Thursday will be hot — about 85 degrees. As the cold front pushes through on the weekend, with lows around 60 and highs in the upper 70s Saturday and Sunday, the area will see “very dry and breezy conditions.”
That’s the reason for the “elevated fire risk” notation in the weather service’s report.
Key West will be warmer on the weekend with lows in the mid-60s and highs in the mid-70s.
Temperatures should then stay just under 80 into the next work week.
Possible severe Orlando weather
What happens in Orlando apparently doesn’t all stay in Florida’s amusement park mecca.
Potentially severe storms with gusty winds of 40 to 60 mph, hail up to 1 inch in diameter, lots of lightning and “torrential rainfall” is in Wednesday’s forecast for the Orlando area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Tony Cristaldi’s hazardous weather report.
At night, these storms are expected to move northeast at 20 to 25 mph and douse Volusia, Brevard and northeastern Osceola Counties through about midnight then make a return visit to the Orlando area after midnight, according to Cristaldi.
Flooding, thanks to about two to three inches or rain falling in a 60 to 90 minute period, can be expected in Orlando, Cristaldi forecasts.
For Disney guests enjoying a Spring Break week the weather report isn’t all that happy on Thursday, either.
“There will be continued threat for strong to severe storms with strong gusty winds, hail, frequent lightning and torrential rainfall through about sunset,” Cristaldi said in his report.
The rain chance Thursday in Orlando is 100%. Temperatures will only reach the mid- to high-70s with lows around 53 degrees over the sunny and clear weekend before a warming trend brings highs back to the mid-80s Tuesday.
Bradenton eyes a 90% rain chance Thursday with the cold front dropping temperatures to the upper 50s for lows and mid 70s for highs on the weekend. As of Wednesday, there is no hazardous weather warning for the Tampa Bay area.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 10:41 AM.
