Throughout much of Sunday, we simply waited for pending storms. A late afternoon view showed low clouds and continued gray sky that we became familiar with, all weekend long.
As the evening began, the radar was lighting up. It was necessary to track a solid line of thunderstorms.
The main threats from these storms were damaging winds and the potential for isolated tornadoes. Much of south Florida experienced wind-driven thunderstorms between 7 and 9 pm. Also, during that time frame, came the official report of a tornado touching down in West Hialeah. More information will be gathered early Monday with the daylight and upon survey crews examining the impacts. What we know now (based on nighttime video and public reports) is that numerous trees were snapped and vehicles were overturned!
Heavy rain bands overspread the region as a low pressure disturbance crossed south Florida.
The low will race across the western Atlantic ocean waters on Monday, giving way to incoming high pressure for Florida. This will allow for a dramatic weather change since drier air will be in charge. Also, cooler than usual temperatures can be expected. Readings will basically be 10-degrees below average for late January.
On the Tuesday weather map, we see that high pressure has shifted east (north of the Bahamas). This will open the door for a fast-moving cold front to slide across the state. Northern parts of Florida could see rain triggered from the front. As it moves south, we expect moisture to thin-out and showers will be minimal at best. More importantly, the boundary will act as a “reinforcing front” which will keep the cool air around longer (through Thursday).
