ORLANDO, Fla. – A beautiful day across Central Florida is on tap Friday, with tons of sunshine as highs warm to near normal in the mid- to lower 70s.
Later Friday evening, added cloud cover ahead of a front will keep temperatures warm through the overnight hours -- in the mid-60s -- as the breeze begins to pick up.
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A big shift in our weather pattern will arrive this weekend as a strengthening cold front approaches by Saturday morning. Along with deep moisture surging across the area, strong storms and frequent lightning will be likely (70-80%) along the front.
Through the first half of the day, a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) remains in place for severe weather, with a chance for damaging winds, small hail and even a brief tornado. With this threat in place, a WEATHER ALERT DAY has been called for your Saturday.
The front will stall just south by Saturday night, with lingering showers sticking around for areas south of Orlando and Cape Canaveral into the early Sunday morning.
By late Sunday afternoon and into the evening, conditions are expected to improve, with skies gradually clearing. Highs on Saturday will hold in the mid-70s, but temps will be in the mid-60s behind the front on Sunday.
A break from the widespread rain and storms will be short-lived through Monday, with highs near 70 degrees and a slight chance of a few passing showers.
The threat for strong to severe storms returns ahead of an even stronger front on Tuesday. As the cold front moves across the area, scattered showers and storms will be likely, along with gusty winds (20-25mph).
Although it is still too early to get a detailed look at the severe weather impacts, the storm prediction center has already highlighted the area with a 15% chance of having severe weather through the day.