A Freeze Warning and Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday. Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, and wind chill could be hazardous for those without adequate warmth.
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for inland Palm Beach County from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday. Wind chills as low as 30 are expected for most of South Florida.
South Florida is waking up to active weather today as a strong cold front moves across the region, bringing periods of rain, gusty winds, and a sharp drop in temperatures by Friday morning.
Scattered to numerous showers will spread across the area this morning, especially through the late morning hours as the cold front pushes through. Rainfall could be briefly moderate at times, but the lack of instability will limit thunderstorm development. Any isolated storms would mainly stay near the coast. Conditions gradually improve this afternoon as the rain exits from west to east.
High temperatures will range from the upper 60s to the lower 70s.
Behind the front, winds will shift to the west-northwest and strengthen significantly, with gusts between 25 and 30 mph this afternoon and evening. These winds will create hazardous boating conditions, prompting a Small Craft Advisory across all local waters and Lake Okeechobee. Conditions begin to improve on Friday morning.
The most impactful part of this system arrives tonight into early Friday as much colder air pours in.
Interior areas near Lake Okeechobee, lows will be near or below freezing. Coastal area lows will be in the upper 30s to mid-40s.
Wind chill values may drop into the mid-20s near the lake and mid-30s closer to the coast.
Friday stays cool by South Florida standards, with afternoon highs mainly in the middle 60s. Dry weather dominates through Saturday with gradual warming into the low 70s.
Another dry cold front is expected late Sunday into early Monday, reinforcing cool temperatures with lows again dipping into the 30s and 40s and highs staying in the upper 60s to low 70s early next week.
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