Expect high temperatures in the mid 70s for both Saturday and Sunday. We will start off in the 50s for the next several days.

The sun will set Sunday after 7:30 p.m. after moving the clocks ahead an hour for the start of daylight saving time. The sun won’t set before 7:30 p.m. until the middle of September. It will be comfortably warm and clear to celebrate the extra evening daylight with dinner on the patio. The better opportunity for rain and storms returns later in the day Thursday as a cold front approaches. Beach forecast:Beach forecastBe aware of the very high rip current threat along the east coast beaches again Sunday.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Get ready for a very warm end to winter this week, with highs soaring each day into the mid-to-upper 80s. Through the first half of the week, highs will run in the mid-to upper-80s, with temperatures nearing 90 by St. Patrick’s day on Wednesday. With it officially being spring break this week across most of Central Florida, the warmer than normal forecast will especially make the beaches look very enticing. There will be a very high rip current threat along the east coast beaches through at least Wednesday. Once the front clears, cooler weather sets up into the weekend as we officially ring in Spring at 5:37 a.m.

For most of us in Florida, spring does not hold the same allure as it does for our friends and relatives up north or in the Midwest, but spring is coming, and it is changing in Florida. During the past 50 years, the average spring temperature has been on the rise. Average spring temperatureAcross the country, 96% of cities are reporting an increase in the number of above-normal spring days. The graphic below shows that we have increased our “warm days” by almost 11 days. Warm spring daysThis means shorter winters, hotter days, more air conditioning, more pests and bugs and longer pollen seasons that make allergy sufferers miserable.

ORLANDO, Fla. – There will be a short time to see the sun Sunday before clouds quickly go on the increase. Areas northwest of I-4 will have a better chance to hang onto some sun into the afternoon, but most of Central Florida will be locked in a chilly overcast. A few low 60s will be possible along the coast and where there will be a little more sun well north of Orlando. A stray shower is possible south of Orlando Monday, but sunshine will increase through Martin Luther King Jr. day. Martin Luther King Jr. day forecastTemperatures gradually warm through the middle of the week before most of Central Florida flirts with 80 degrees by the end of the week.

Sunshine will quickly get rid of any frost that has developed and help to warm our temperatures back to the mid 60s. High, thin clouds will gradually increase across Central Florida by the afternoon and evening. With a mix of clouds and sunshine, temperatures surge back into the 70s ahead of the next system. Temperatures Tuesday remain in the mid 70s before a cold front later in the day. There will be a high risk for rip currents again Sunday.

When talking about winter in Florida, it’s not so much about the cold and snow, but the impact it may have on the dry season. Typically in Florida, during a La Nina winter, the season is warmer and drier than normal. For an in-depth look at what La Nina is and how it typically impacts us in Central Florida, click here. La Nina influence is reflected on NOAA’s winter outlook that was released Thursday. Winter forecast from NOAA 2020-2021NOAA’s forecast gives a very high probability of the upcoming winter being drier and warmer than normal.