The strongest cold front of the season, thus far, is pushing into Florida from the Gulf of Mexico. On Wednesday, the warmth continued (ahead of the front) with air out of the south and a fair amount of cloud cover by the afternoon.
The warming trend may have peaked to the west. Naples reached highs in the upper 80’s and the Lower Keys were nearly as hot.
What’s impressive about the Wednesday high in Key West is that it set a record for the date. Officially, the high surpassed the previous record of 86-degrees, from the late 1940’s!
It’s worth noting that nighttime temperatures have also been exceptionally warm. As we wind down the week, it will begin feeling much different. This is a look at the forecast lows for the next 7 nights. As readings scale back into the lower and middle 60’s, it will be the coolest air we’ve felt in south Florida since last April.
Here’s the forecast position of the cold front crossing Florida (early Thursday morning position). Notice the 40-degree temperature difference between Pensacola and Miami. It’s a testament of the strength of the front moving across the region. Winds will turn behind the boundary and air will filter down from the north.
Chilly high pressure will expand across the Gulf states and south Florida will feel the difference beginning Friday. Will it last into the weekend? Yes, but moderating slightly into early next week.
