How cold is it going to get in South Florida? It could feel like it’s in the 30s
How cold is it going to get in South Florida Wednesday and Thursday, the days forecasters predict will bring the coldest temperatures to the area?
Put it this way: If you know someone you love bought you a toasty warm sweater for the holidays, you might want to ask for the present early.
Like now, so you’re ready.
If temperatures in Miami-Dade and Broward fall to 47 degrees Wednesday morning — which is what WSVN meteorologist Vivian Gonzalez is forecasting — it will be the coldest we have seen since Jan. 22.
If temperatures dip to 57 degrees in Key West, it will be the coldest there since Feb. 3.
The National Weather Service in Miami puts the low in Miami-Dade and Key Largo at 50 and 49 degrees, respectively, Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Broward is looking at a low of 47 degrees and Palm Beach County at 48 degrees. Key West is forecast to be the warmest spot at 58.
Bradenton could dip into the mid-30s, according to the weather service.
But the hazardous weather outlook posting in South Florida is due more to the wind chill factor that could make some parts of South Florida feel in the 30s.
“Wednesday and Thursday will be the coldest mornings, with wind chill values ranging from the mid to upper 30s near Lake Okeechobee to 40s elsewhere,” the weather service said.
CBS4 meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez predicts mid- to upper 40s across much of Broward and Miami-Dade with low 50s closer to the coast. And “cool 60s” across the Florida Keys.
Even non-Floridians might agree we’re not babies when we say, “That’s cold!”
Homeless shelters opening for the cold
Broward County sent notice Tuesday afternoon that shelters will be opened for the homeless.
Homeless should report to the Salvation Army at 1445 West Broward Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale no later than 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for transportation or access to special cold-night shelters, according to the alert.
If the weather forecast changes to predict warmer or colder conditions, cold weather emergency shelter nights may be canceled or extended.
If you have questions or need additional information on the homeless plan in Broward, contact the Homeless Helpline at 954-563-4357.
Cold through Florida
There’s a frost advisory in Orlando, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will fall into the mid- to upper 30s across east-central Florida after midnight, with some cooler spots in the rural interior possibly dipping to the low 30s.
The Panhandle and North Florida are looking at lows in the mid-30s, and there is a frost advisory for Gainesville since temperatures could dip to 32 degrees Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The rest of the country is hogging some of the warmer air.
According to WSVN’s Gonzalez, temperatures will be 10 to 30 degrees above normal for the central and western parts of the country, approaching record highs in the Northern Plains and Northern California.
For example, Bismarck, North Dakota, is looking at a low of 31 Tuesday night and a high of 46 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
But temperatures in the Southeast will be 10 to 15 degrees below normal with record cool max temperatures possible in Florida,” Gonzalez posted on Twitter.
Thursday morning will still be cold across South Florida and the rest of the state but inching upward as we head into Friday and the weekend when we should range from the 60s to low 70s and a high in the upper 70s on Sunday.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 10:21 AM with the headline "How cold is it going to get in South Florida? It could feel like it’s in the 30s."
