This appears to be our last encounter with temperatures in the 50’s widespread across south Florida. If that holds true, the next reasonable chance for cooling of this magnitude won’t be for several months (quite possibly not until October or November). The recent batch of cool weather is a sudden change, by the way. On Thursday afternoon, our Miami temperature peaked at 91 degrees! Since then, a cold front crossed and we were greeted with the arrival of cooler air from the north. It won’t last long. Winds are likely to turn off the ocean by Saturday night. That will signal the start of rising temperatures across the region. Until that happens, we’re still closely monitoring the fire potential. Relative humidity levels are very low. With the dry air accompanied by gusty winds, there’s a high risk for brush fires. Keep in mind we haven’t had much rain lately so that’s also contributing to the problem. Meanwhile, fire fighters are still trying to get the upper hand on a fire that developed in southwest Broward County during the midweek. The greatest threat has remained west of populated areas. Still, smoke and ash has managed to filter far from the site of the fire. As of this writing, a dense smoke advisory continues for inland and metro Miami-Dade as well as inland and metro Broward County. Coastal areas aren’t likely to be impacted. Looking ahead into next week, we’re forecasting a quiet and seasonal pattern. Temperatures will gradually moderate while rain chances only bump up slowly (and only slightly).