85° today (Tuesday) at O.I.A.!  It felt like a nice and warm spring day.  We actually tied the record high set back in 2009.   Tomorrow will be another very warm day nearing record highs.

Here's a list of Tuesday and Wednesday's temperatures for various cities in the viewing area compared to the records.

Orlando:
Tuesday's High: 85°    Record High for January 29th: 85°
Wednesday's Forecast High: 86°   Record High for January 30th: 88°

Daytona Beach:
Tuesday's High: 78°  Record High for January 29th: 85°
Wednesday's Forecast High:  85°  Record High for January 30th: 87°

Melbourne:
Tuesday's High: 78°  Record High for January 29th: 87°
Wednesday's Forecast High: 84°  Record High for January 30th: 86°

From all this, you may be wondering:

(1) Why are the beaches so much cooler than Orlando today, but not tomorrow?
Our winds are from the southeast today, which means there's a component of onshore flow along the east coast.  This flow is coming off water with temperatures that are in the 60s, keeping the 78-degree coastal communities cooler than the mid-80s further inland.  Tomorrow's wind will be from the southwest, so there will be no onshore cooling breeze along the east coast.  Temperatures will be much more uniform over the viewing area and we'll all be in record high territory.

The recent warmer than average weather has not only been felt in Florida, but in many places across the country.  Yesterday in Kansas City, the high reached 74...blowing away the old record of 65!  A strong cold front has since moved through bringing winter storm warnings to that area.  Ahead of that cold front there was a high tornado threat across Arkansas.

We're waiting for that same front ourselves.  Although it won't pack the same punch in Orlando as it has up north, it will drop our temperatures 20 degrees for Thursday.  You'll be feeling the winter's chill Friday morning as temperatures drop into the 40s.

We'll be tracking the cold front tomorrow night, stay tuned!