Will Miami set a hot weather record? How does the weekend look? What the forecast says
Update: Miami set a new heat record Friday when the mercury hit 87, breaking a record set on Feb. 3, 1985, when temperatures in Miami were 85, CBS Miami reported.
Sizzle and soak. That’s your South Florida weekend forecast in short, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
Friday “we could have some records in jeopardy along the East Coast,” said senior meteorologist Robert Garcia. “Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, all three could come close to the records that were set in 1985 for high temperatures.”
The record high for Feb. 3 in South Florida’s tri-county area was 85 in 1985, according to the weather service.
Friday’s forecast calls for a tie in Miami and Fort Lauderdale at 85 degrees. West Palm Beach’s forecast is 86 so, if the thermometer reaches that, a new heat record would be in the books.
The cool-down comes Saturday through the weekend with highs in the mid- to upper-70s and lows in the upper-60s.
“Not a tremendous cool-down,” Garcia said.
But the relief comes at a price.
Stormy weekend
“If folks were planning on boating this weekend, probably not the best idea,” Garcia said. “Not the beach weekend. Not the boating weekend. The Atlantic will be pretty rough. There will be at least a small craft advisory and the potential to see gale force conditions, especially offshore, so that’s something we’re going to be watching in the next day or so.”
Late Friday and into the weekend, that front boosts storm chances to 70% Saturday along South Florida’s coast and 60%-50% farther west, Garcia said. Gusty winds as high as 29 mph Saturday and the hazardous marine conditions, including high rip currents at coastal beaches, come alongside the showers and thunderstorms. Sunday’s storm chance is 50%.
“Folks may want to have some indoor activities lined up in case things get rained out,” Garcia said.
Sunny skies and high temperatures in the upper-70s resume on Monday into the workweek.
One upshot? Your plants will welcome some rain as January has been mostly dry, “not unusual for this time of year,” Garcia said. “We’ll take the rain when we can get it — when it’s beneficial.”
Florida Keys
Wednesday broke a heat record in Marathon when temperatures hit 86. The record high had been 84, set on Feb. 1, 2019.
But the weekend will be comparatively mild with highs around 78 and lows around 71, and less storm coverage compared to the mainland, according to the weather service in Key West. Rain chances are 20% Friday and 30% Saturday and Sunday in the Keys.
This story was originally published February 2, 2023 at 3:46 PM.
