A biting cold front expected to move through the Sunshine State this week bringing shivering Canadian air will keep winter temperatures in Palm Beach County considered chilly even for January.
According to the official forecast from the National Weather Service in Miami, the mercury at Palm Beach International Airport will dip into the mid-50s early Friday morning and struggle to get above 70 degrees all day.
Areas of western Palm Beach County closer to Lake Okeechobee could see temperatures drop into the low 50s by early Friday, while spots in the Treasure Coast are expected to dip into the 40s. According to the NWS office in Melbourne, a northerly breeze could raise wind chill temperatures above 30 degrees in some areas north of Martin County.
How cold do the temperatures get in West Palm Beach?
“It's a very, very strong cold front,” said NWS meteorologist Will Redman, based in Miami. “We are entering the time of year when fronts are strengthening and pushing further down.”
The normal low nighttime temperature for this time of year at Palm Beach International Airport is 65 degrees. That means the forecast low of 54 degrees early Friday is as much as 11 degrees below normal for mid-November and 4 degrees cooler than normal for the coldest days of January.
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West Palm Beach hasn't experienced temperatures in the 50s since March 20.
Redman said the cool weather should continue through the weekend, with overnight lows in the 50s in coastal Palm Beach County and daytime highs in the mid-70s. The normal daytime high for this time of year is about 80 degrees.
“This air is coming from western Canada and coming straight down,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva. “I don't expect any frost, but in the northern part of the state we could see temperatures as high as 30 degrees.”
Rain chances in South Florida increase to 50% ahead of the front on Wednesday.
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DaSilva said the showers are part of the remnants of Sara being moved into the northern Gulf of Mexico by the low-pressure area associated with the cold front. Rain totals in South Florida are forecast to be about an inch, but the Weather Prediction Center predicts areas in the western Panhandle could get 4 inches or more.
“You're not going to see Sara on the satellite or radar and say, 'Oh, there's the eye wall.' But it has Sara DNA in it,” DaSilva said of the showers that could cause localized flooding in areas of northwest Florida.
The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on Sara early Monday, November 18. Sara reached tropical storm strength before falling into a depression over Belize on Sunday.
DaSilva said he doesn't expect tropical systems to track Sara.
“I think the season is over,” he said. “There could be a big storm in the Atlantic, but I think we're ready.”
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network based in Florida. She covers real estate, weather and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to [email protected]. Support our local journalism and subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cool front moves into South Florida this week bringing wintry temperatures
