Ready for the 30s, 40s and 50s in Florida? What the forecast says about temperature drop
The turkeys aren’t the only things in the freezer ahead of Thanksgiving next week.
Consider Florida.
Your extremities may feel like stiff giblets as Florida faces two cold fronts by the weekend preceding the holiday. If you’re traveling up Florida in the days ahead, get ready for the cold.
Part of the reason is the season. It’s late November, after all.
“It’s going into the time of year where there’s going to be a lot of colder air up north so that’s going to allow the potential for much colder air to reach all the way southward,” explained Will Redman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
We won’t be getting “super cold” like some northern states from a mid-latitude cyclone in the northern Midwest but some of that cold air is going to filter into the East Coast and make its way as far south as Miami, Redman forecasts.
Then another front with colder temperatures ventures into South Florida the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving.
Talking temperatures
This is how Miami weather service breaks down the temperature dips for South Florida:
The first dip: Wednesday morning. Expect drops to the low 60s across all of South Florida and chillier toward Lake Okeechobee.
The second dip: The next cold front will start to be felt Thursday night into Friday morning and linger through the weekend. Expect low-50s in Southeast Florida. Low- to mid-50s and warmer toward the water. Mid- to upper-40s closer to the big lake. And if you’re driving through the Panhandle, lows will be in the upper-30s.
High temperatures: Upper-70s Thursday. Low- to mid-70s Friday and low-70s on Saturday into the weekend. A warming up, or thaw before the bird, should happen early Thanksgiving week, Redman said. Key West will be your steamier pre-Thanksgiving choice with highs around 80 after Wednesday’s potential rains and then mid-70s for the rest of the week into the weekend. Lows will only dip to the upper-60s.
Rain: After a 40% chance Wednesday, not much to none during the cold snaps. “There’s going to be significantly dry air behind the cold front,” Redman said. “It’s going to be pretty dry from Friday through the weekend especially, and likely into next week as well.”
Rip currents: There is an elevated risk of dangerous rip currents along Atlantic beaches through the week into the weekend, according to the weather service.
Traveling across Florida?
Here are some hot spots for travelers come Thanksgiving in the Sunshine State, according to the National Weather Service. These destinations will be still be fun, but not so hot.
Orlando: Temperatures drop to the upper-40s at night and about 44 by Friday night, with highs only around the mid-60s. Temps inch back up Sunday to a range of 71 down to 50. After Tuesday, not much rain in the forecast.
Gainesville: Lows flirting with 40 by Friday and highs only around 62. UF students sticking around campus may see thunderstorms Wednesday on an 80% chance and the first taste of upper-40s by Wednesday night before clearing skies.
Fort Myers-Tampa Bay: Wednesday’s 70% rain and thunderstorm chance brings the 79 degree high down to the lower 70s into the weekend. Lows drop to 50 by Saturday night. Monday sees a warming trend with 80 in the forecast.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 1:53 PM.
