As chilly temperatures greeted Orlando residents on the first morning of the new year, the National Weather Service Melbourne forecast a gradual warm-up into the weekend with mid-70s expected by Saturday. A Frost Advisory remained in effect through 9 AM today for areas west of I-95, where the mercury dipped into the mid to upper 30s. Patchy areas of frost are forecast, with a Frost Advisory in effect for areas west of I-95 through 9 AM, the advisory highlighted.
Residents can look forward to brighter skies and less wind, as the high pressure over the Gulf moves eastward. This will lead to drier conditions and clear skies that will become increasingly cloudy by Friday. Comfort, however, comes not without a caveat, as northwesterly winds look to remain near 10 mph or less for today, and while the frost threat appears limited tonight, patchy frost cannot be ruled out, especially in rural locations, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne forecast.
By the weekend, attention turns to a cold front arriving Saturday night into Sunday that could bring showers to the area. While most of Saturday should remain dry, there's a chance for scattered showers and possibly a slight chance for a lightning strike or two along and north of I-4 Saturday evening, due to a low-pressure system near the Tennessee Valley moving offshore from the Carolina Coast.
For those planning to venture onto the waters, deteriorating boating conditions will coincide with the cold front's arrival. Winds may increase to around 15 knots on Saturday and up to 20-25 knots into Sunday, creating poor to hazardous boating conditions. Seas will be slow to build due to the wind direction. Wave heights of 2-4 ft on Saturday look to become up to 5-7 ft in the Gulf Stream on Sunday, as winds begin to veer northerly, indicating sailors and fishermen should exercise caution.
Aviators will benefit from mostly clear skies and VFR conditions after a bout of light and variable winds early in the day. Pilots should be aware of the very low potential for some ground fog on Friday morning, which remains under surveillance. The overall forecast for the area points to an upward trend in temperatures, with more typical Florida-like weather expected by mid-next week.
