Winter Set to Return to Florida as Significant Cold Front Approaches

A strong cold front is forecast to move through Florida, bringing a pulse of winter chill all the way to the Keys.

The Canadian-cooled air is expected to reach the Panhandle on Sunday, Jan. 11, with wind chill values possibly dropping into the 20s in the early morning of Monday, Jan. 12. Daytime highs in the Panhandle are expected to reach only the low 50s.

Further south, inland areas could see lows in the upper 40s to mid-50s, while the coasts warmed by water should stay in the lower 60s. Daytime highs in South Florida are expected to hover around 70 degrees early next week.

While not as frigid as the New Year’s cold snap—West Palm Beach hit 39 degrees on Dec. 31—the upcoming front will mark a noticeable change from recent record-warm temperatures:

Apalachicola: 77°F on Jan. 7, tying the daily record set in 1974
Miami: 82°F, six degrees above normal, below the 87°F record in 2017
Fort Pierce: 84°F, nine degrees above normal, near the 86°F record in 1990

Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham of AccuWeather noted, “Crystal River, Cedar Key, maybe Gainesville will be near the southern edge of the colder temperatures below 40 degrees. It’s not a pure Arctic air mass but will be a return of a typical winter weather pattern.”

The cold front is linked to a fast-moving low-pressure system bringing rain and snow from Michigan to Maine. Rain chances increase for western Panhandle areas Friday, Jan. 9, with up to 80% chance of showers in Pensacola on Saturday, Jan. 10.

Temperatures will moderate as the chill moves down the Peninsula, and by midweek, Florida is expected to return to a more typical winter weather routine.

Miami-based National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto said, “This won’t be like what we saw last time. We will see slightly reduced humidity and slightly reduced temperatures. The parent cyclone is going to be too far to the northeast.”

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