Get ready to throw open the windows, dig out your favorite sweatshirts, and head outside to breathe in the cooler, drier air.
After what seemed like a long, hot and sticky summer, Central Florida will get a long-awaited cool snap this weekend — its first real feeling of fall — with temperatures forecast to drop to the low and mid-60s on Sunday and Monday mornings.
“It will be much welcome weather,” said Robert Haley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. “It will be drier, and it will feel much more comfortable.”
By midday, however, Central Floridians may have to close their windows, pull off their sweatshirts, and click the air conditioner back on. Afternoon temperatures on Sunday and Monday will climb back into the mid 80s.
Even so, it won’t feel that warm, Haley said, as the humidity is expected to remain lower than normal for most of the week.
Friday’s forecast for the Orlando area calls for cloudy skies and a 60% chance of showers, with high temperatures reaching 83 degrees and overnight lows dropping to 71 degrees.
Saturday is expected to be a sunny day with temperatures peaking at 82 degrees.
So what will cause this delightful weather?
It’s the result of a low pressure system expected to develop off the Atlantic coast of Florida on Friday and push drier air into the region during the first half of next week, according to forecasters.
After Monday, afternoon temperatures will gradually climb into the high 80s for the rest of the week, with lows in the high 60s at least through Tuesday. But the humidity levels will continue to remain low, Haley said.
Getting that much-anticipated relief from summer’s scorching temperatures suits John Henry just fine.
“I’m tired of it,” the Maitland architect said of the muggy weather as he walked his dog, Bentley, around Winter Park’s Central Park on Wednesday.
“Every year, when this cooler weather comes around in October, you just love it,” he said. “It makes living in Florida worth it. I plan to sit outside, or just come out here to walk around and enjoy it.”
But there is a downside. Anyone deciding to enjoy the cooler weather at the beaches along the Atlantic coast should avoid going into the ocean, as rip currents and surf are expected to be particularly strong through the weekend, forecasters said.
“The beaches are going to be dangerous, so we recommend checking in with the lifeguards and be aware of the surf,” Haley said.
