PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Parts of South Florida could — literally — feel the freeze this weekend, and Miami could see its lowest temperatures in 12 years.
In other words, it could make the cool temps from earlier this week feel like they were only an appetizer.
The National Weather Service in Miami says the coldest temperatures of the season so far are forecasted after a strong cold front moves down the Florida peninsula on Friday night and off the southeast Florida coast before dawn Saturday.
“Temperatures on Saturday are forecast to not get out of the 50s over most of the area, and even southern areas around Miami may struggle to reach 60 degrees under clearing skies and gusty northwest winds,” the weather service said. “This will set the stage for the coldest night and morning which will likely be Saturday night and Sunday morning.
“Current indications are that the probabilities for freezing temperatures early Sunday morning are increasing over inland Southwest Florida, primarily Glades, Hendry, inland Collier, and inland Palm Beach County well away from Lake Okeechobee. In these areas, duration of temperatures of 32 degrees or below could be as much as 4 hours. Over the rest of the area, low temperatures Sunday morning are forecast to range from the mid-30s over the outlying suburbs of the east and west coasts, upper 30s Gulf coast, and upper 30s to lower 40s over most of metro Southeast Florida.”
The probability for freezing temperatures in South Florida (!!) Saturday night is increasing.
— Luke Dorris (@lukedorrisWPLG) January 26, 2022
This doesn’t mean freezing in Miami… but locations away from the coast *could* get there https://t.co/NnyzNjhVrp
At this point, Local 10 News is forecasting the low Sunday in Miami to be 40 degrees, but there is a chance it will be colder as we see how the atmosphere develops.
The last time Miami’s temperature dipped into the 30s was Dec. 28, 2010, when it reached 39 degrees.
Wind chills will likely make much of South Florida feel like it’s in the mid-30s.
Here are the stats for Sunday. We'll be within a few degrees of that 82 year-old record #flwx pic.twitter.com/ztWCNFy4wR
— Luke Dorris (@lukedorrisWPLG) January 26, 2022
And that comes after it’s forecasted to reach a high of 80 during the day Friday.
It’s expected to remain cold Sunday night into Monday morning — though not quite as cold as the previous night — with freezing temps and frost possible around Lake Okeechobee, the National Weather Service said.
For the latest forecast information and radar, click here to visit the Weather Authority page.