How cold will it feel in Florida? Temperatures to plunge to 20s, 30s, 40s
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- South Florida: cold front brings rain, lows in low 40s and breezy wind chills.
- Central Florida: Orlando dips to low 30s overnight; theme parks face freeze warning.
- North Florida: freeze warning, lows drifting to mid-20s with frost risk for crops.
The cold is coming.
In South Florida, temperatures will plunge into the 40s Thursday night and Friday morning, and may even feel chillier. In North and Central Florida, it will get much colder.
“Get ready for some big changes,” said CBS News Miami meteorologist Shane Hinton.
Those changes include a blanket of rain across the region Thursday morning and afternoon, which will usher in the colder and drier air. The National Weather Service in Miami puts rain chances at 70%.
The cold front will send temperatures down to the low 40s in South Florida by early Friday morning. Friday afternoon highs will stay in the 60s, according to the weather service.
MORE: Can cold weather in Miami make you sick? Your body can change in the chill
The cold weather arrives just as fans arrive for the big Miami-Indiana football game on Monday night. And it also come as thousands of people prepare to hit the road for the three-day MLK holiday weekend.
Here’s a look at how you may be affected:
South Florida
Forecast: Hinton, of CBS News Miami, says the “real chill” will arrive overnight Thursday into Friday morning, when temperatures plunge to the low-40s. Those low temperatures will be paired with clear skies, but also come with a brisk breeze of 10 mph with gusts of more than 20 mph, according to the weather service. That could make it seem even colder, with a feels-like wind chill in the 30s, and will be a risk to boaters.
Looking ahead: The weekend in South Florida will warm up a bit. Friday night lows will drop to about 60, according to the weather service, and Saturday will warm up to 75. Saturday night will drop again to the low-60s, and it will warm up again Sunday to the mid-70s.
Monday big-game forecast: Another cold front will move in on Sunday night and Monday, according to forecasters. Sunday night’s low will plunge us to the mid-40s again, and Monday’s high will rise to just the mid-60s with sunny skies. The forecast calls for temperatures to drop to the mid-50s for Monday night’s college championship game between the University of Miami and Indiana University.
Central Florida
Forecast: If you’re heading to the Central Florida theme parks, you’ll feel the chill. And there’s a freeze warning, too, according to the National Weather Service, so bring that Mickey hoodie with you. Orlando-area temperatures will plunge into the low-30s overnight Thursday into Friday morning. The warm-up on Friday isn’t much of a warm-up, with a high of just around 60.
Looking ahead: If your travels keep you in Central Florida through the weekend, you’ll thaw out a little on Saturday and Sunday, when temperatures dip into the 40s and rebound during the day The high on Saturday will around 70, but Sunday will be cooler, with a high of around 60. And then more cold weather arrives Sunday night into Monday morning with a low in the mid-30s. Monday’s high temperatures won’t rise past the mid- to upper-50s.
North Florida
Forecast: The Florida Legislature is back in session in Tallahassee. For those who find themselves in North Florida, we’re sorry. A freeze warning and cold weather advisory is in effect Thursday night and Friday morning when temperatures are forecast to plunge to the mid-20s. Yes, there could be frost. Friday’s high temperatures will rebound to the mid-50s.
Looking ahead: Friday night in the Tallahassee area won’t be as cold, with temperatures dropping to the low- to mid-40s, according to the weather service. Saturday night will drop to the mid-30s. And then on Sunday night and Monday morning, the lows will once again drop into the mid-20s.
