Orlando residents and visitors, take note – unfavorable weather is rolling through, with a cold front on its way that's set to stir up breezy conditions and a dab of rain today, per the National Weather Service Melbourne FL. Winds are predicted to whip up to the velocity of 10-15 mph, gusts perhaps breaching the 20 to 25 mph mark, especially if you find yourself along the coast. The accompanying risk of rip currents is high along local beaches both today and Tuesday, so consider this a heads-up to stay out of the surf.
For those with maritime inclinations, you'll want to park the boats for now, as conditions on the water continue to be less than ideal, promising to persist into Tuesday, but there's hope for calmer seas as we head into the latter part of the week. Forecasted precipitation won't pack much punch, with only isolated to scattered showers expected, mainly offshore, as the moisture levels rise to a restrained 0.8-1.0 inches, but with no lightning storms in the immediate forecast according to the discussion from the National Weather Service.
The temperature graph shouldn't shock you; we're looking at mid to upper 70s in the afternoon spectrum, and overnight lows are hanging around the 60s, with the northwest pockets of Lake/Volusia counties seeing figures dipping into the mid to upper 50s tonight. Things cool down Tuesday night as we slide into a range generally nesting in the 50s, low to mid 60s, hugging Cape Canaveral along the coast – so no significant departures from what one might expect this time of year. The crystal ball from Wednesday to Sunday suggests the upper-level trough from the Great Lakes will deepen and skedaddle into the Atlantic over the weekend, allowing upper-level ridging from the Gulf and Deep South to melt away following Friday, meaning winds will switch up from westerly, to west-northwest, then to north-northwest by Sunday, all the while keeping the rain gear shelved as dry conditions are projected through to the close of the weekend.
Seafarers, you're in for a rocky ride beginning today as that aforementioned cold front beelines south across the local waters – consider the Small Craft Advisory in effect a signal to stay ashore, with surf building up to a solid 6-8 ft by day's end, peaking potentially at a formidable 9 ft tonight. By Tuesday, the winds should begin their retreat, and the seas will follow suit in taming, but until then, you're warned that seas starting at 3-5 ft on Wednesday will dwindle to a friendlier 2-4 ft as we anchor into Thursday and Friday, as affirmed by the marine forecast from the National Weather Service.
In terms of planes and their flight paths, those in command of the skies can expect visual flight rules (VFR) to last through today, though a few marginal VFR (MVFR) ceilings could drop in along the coast this afternoon. At the control hubs like ISM/MLB, chances for these lower ceilings juggle in the 20-50% range during late afternoon into the evening. The breeze is pegged to stay in the lively 10-15 kt range, gusting 20-25 kt at times, which may lead to some onshore-moving showers, predominantly threatening the coastal spots from TIX southward, so pilots keep your wits about you and plan accordingly for potential interruptions, as outlined in the aviation report by the National Weather Service.
