May-Like Heat Moves In 

Well, that was quick! After a refreshingly cool Monday, with highs mainly in the 60s, temperatures hopped back into the 70s today and will warm to around 80 degrees Wednesday. A quick-moving disturbance, now gathering energy in the Gulf of Mexico, will move across our area later on Wednesday with a 30% chance of rain. However, because high pressure aloft has pushed the storm track mainly to our north, the best chance of rain will mainly be north of I-4. Overall, lots of clouds around for Hump Day this week.

Once that disturbance moves by, we're off to the races temperature-wise. Our next cold front will remain to our west through Friday afternoon, allowing a southwest surge of wind to bring in some of the warmest air we've seen since early last fall. When forecasting the high temperature, one of the levels of the atmosphere we look at most closely is at 5000 feet (in "meteorology-speak:" 850 millibars). Temperatures on Thursday and Friday will warm to almost 60 degrees a mile above the ground. In general, we can tack another 25-30 degrees onto that to get an idea of what highs may be: 85-90 degrees with enough sunshine! At the least, it will be as warm Thursday and Friday as it was this past Sunday when temperatures surged into the middle 80s across much of the area.

A weakening, increasingly moisture-starved cold front will move through the area late Friday and early Saturday with a 30% chance of rain and cooler temperatures to start the weekend. But, just like all of the cool downs we've felt this winter, it won't last long.

Have a great night!

Brian Monahan