The National Weather Service in Melbourne issued a Frost Advisory that remained in effect for Lake and inland Volusia counties through 9 AM today. Temperatures dipped as low as 35 degrees, fostering frost formation. Despite the sun's best efforts, residents north of the I-4 and along the interior will witness patchy frost each morning until Friday arrives to lift the chilly curse slightly. Mariners take heed—it's rough out there on the Atlantic, with hazardous conditions expected to redevelop tonight and persist through Thursday.
In their chilling play-by-play, weather officials sketch out a scene of remarkable consistency: cold airs that will stick around, teasing with a brief warmup on Saturday, but like a well-loved melody stuck on repeat, turning colder again come Sunday and clinging to central Florida through the following week. Wind chill has already taken a short vacation to the mid to upper 30s range across most of the region; our breath is visible, our hands seeking the warmth of our pockets, and the Treasure Coast feels slightly less of that frigid pinch with temperatures hovering in the low to mid-40s.
The daytime forecast won't do much to thaw frozen hopes for balmy weather, with today's highs capping at the low to mid-60s, then overnight plunging back into the low to mid-30s, commanding patchy frost to take the stage once again, especially in the northern and western stage that is I-95 north of Martin County. As skies clear, Thursday might call for another Cold Weather Advisory because efficient radiational cooling is forecasted, and those looking skywards on Thursday morning could very well be greeted with wind chills ranging from the upper 20s to mid-30s, as the National Weather Service reports.
Come the weekend, the forecast suggests a cloak of brief warmth with afternoon highs climbing to the mid to upper 60s across the north on Friday and continuing into Saturday. But the maritime realm will not be as lucky; the melody of the forecast has a refrain for the mariners—Small Craft Advisory is in effect from late tonight through evening Thursday for the Volusia waters, extending to all waters at times. Those still clinging to hopes of smooth sailing will have to wait, as boating conditions will degenerate once more on Saturday, which might necessitate yet another Small Craft Advisory.
For those with their eyes on the skies, VFR conditions generally persist, though brief, bothersome MVFR CIGs early today might test pilots. Those with a penchant for the ground have a twofold alert: Critical to near-critical fire weather conditions are expected today and Thursday across regions along and north of the I-4 corridor.
