Our most recent cold wave is peaking. It brought clear and chilly conditions on Tuesday, including rare widespread lows in the 40’s. Here’s a look at the clear sky during the afternoon (as well as the same view at sunset). By the way, daytime highs managed to make it to a pleasant 70-degrees in both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.
A swath of clouds can be seen covering the northern half of Florida. Sometimes, clouds can prevent temperatures from falling very far down the thermometer. However, these clouds are associated with a cold front. They’re also, somewhat “thin and broken” in coverage.
Heading into Wednesday, the next cold front will slide southward through Florida. It’s a weak boundary that will get even weaker as it moves into south Florida. At most, we could see a few wayward showers on Wednesday afternoon, possibly lasting into the evening.
Temperatures will remain below average through the middle of the week. Still, Florida is far removed from the bitter blast impacting the remaining eastern third of the nation. A big dip in the jet stream is sending down a major shiver and dangerous wind chills continue across the Great Lakes states and northeast. This brutally cold weather will persist for New England through the late week. Fortunately, the jet begins to retreat beyond that time frame.
It’s also necessary to point out the “Sub Tropical” branch of the jet stream. This is the one that supplies more moisture and can also act as a roadway for weather disturbances. Notice how the southern jet branch cuts directly across the Gulf leading into Florida (in the above graphic). Forecast models are showing some energy along the track, reaching our state from Friday into Saturday. The end result will likely be rain showers along with a few isolated thunderstorms. We’ve updated the rain chances for south Florida which indicates a jump as we approach the weekend into February.
