Florida’s ‘last big cold front’ … what can Palm Beach County expect?

For spring breakers and snowbirds hoping to enjoy A strong cold front hits Florida next week — likely the final blow of winter — could bring cooler temperatures and the potential for storms and spotty showers for several days from Pensacola to the Keys.

People could see near-freezing temperatures in the Panhandle and northern Florida and cooling in the southern parts of the state.

It’s all part of the storm moving across the Plains and into the Great Lakes, which is expected to push down on frigid Canadian air in the Arctic late Monday, March 16, which will be hardest hit through Tuesday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, and Wednesday, March 18.

What can Palm Beach County expect in terms of temperatures?

For Sunday, March 15thPartly sunny skies can be expected in Palm Beach County, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Expect highs in the lower 80s. Rain chances increase to 50% at night, with lows in the lower 70s.

For Monday, March 16thThe weather will be mostly sunny, with a chance of showers in the morning and showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Expect highs in the mid-80s. It gets cooler at night and there is a chance of thunderstorms. Temperatures are expected to be above 50 degrees.

For Tuesday, March 17thIt will be much cooler. After showers and thunderstorms in the morning, highs are expected to be in the upper 60s. At night, temperatures will remain steady in the low 60s.

For Wednesday, March 18thThe weather is expected to be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms, with highs in the late 70s and lows in the late 60s.

Temperatures are returning to normal with highs in the mid-70s Thursday, March 18.

The normal daytime high temperature for this time of year in South Florida is about 81 degrees, and the normal nighttime low temperature is 66 degrees.

More severe weather forecast for the rest of Florida

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee is warning of frost and possible frost Tuesday and Wednesday morning, with low temperatures in the 30s and wind chill temperatures below freezing.

“This is probably the last major cold front of the year for Florida,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Da Silva said. “I’m not saying there couldn’t be another front, but in terms of severe freezing temperatures, this is probably the last one.”

Da Silva recommends Panhandle residents, especially in the western reaches, bring in plants they may have moved outside. While we don’t expect the cold weather to affect citrus or other crops, it could harm cold-sensitive potted plants.

What can people expect when going to Disney World and Tampa?

Disney World spring breakers can expect high temperatures in the low 80s on Monday, March 16, with daytime highs dropping to 60 degrees on Tuesday, March 17. Wednesday morning in Orlando could drop into the 40s, but there will be mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 66 degrees during the day.

Some isolated areas around Tampa could see 4 to 6 inches of rain, with the heaviest showers, over seven days, said Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the NWS’ Tampa office. Meteorologists at the NWS office in Melbourne said several severe storms were possible Monday if the cold front clashes with the peak of daytime warming.

Will rain help Florida’s drought?

According to a March 12 report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, approximately 73% of Florida is in extreme drought; This is level 3 on the 4-level drought severity scale.

A cold front will clear the state on Tuesday and linger over Cuba, with the potential for showers to continue in Central and South Florida throughout the week.

Cameron Flynn, owner of Panama City Beach Bonfires, said families are still booking fiery beach experiences, and near-freezing temperatures haven’t slowed down spring break business.

“The fact that people are here in the winter and the weather is cold makes bonfires more appealing,” said Flynn. “So it’s a good thing that the weather is cold, but we also do these in July.”

Kimberly Miller He is a journalist with USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA. As the Embracing Florida reporter, he covers weather, the environment and critters. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. You can get all of Florida’s best content delivered straight to your inbox every weekday by signing up for Florida TODAY, the free newsletter. palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.

This article was first published in the Palm Beach Post: Florida’s ‘last’ cold front… what can Palm Beach County expect?