It didn’t last long but it was strong. Our most recent cold wave, south Florida, has come and gone. The cold air followed a brisk winter Front to start this week. Morning lows tumbled into the 30’s and 40’s both Tuesday and Wednesday with a rare need to bundle up. (Highs were in the 60’s and over 10-degrees below average).
As indicated in the calendar graphic, it’s been an “up and down” month with a wild mix of warm and cool days (just the highs in Miami are referenced graphically). The final 3 days in February will flip back to warm. The reason? High Pressure is pushing away from the region and drawing up more warmth and humidity from the south.
On the Thursday weather map, it’s a southeast flow supplying a nice beach breeze. Meanwhile, the deep drying that had been surrounding the region, has pushed away. That should set us up for times of rain as moisture increases. It wouldn’t be widespread (and certainly no blockbuster or drought-blasting rainfall). Showers will simply “come and go” so if you don’t get rain right away, hang on, there will be higher chances at the end of the week.
Notice that rain is possible each day over the forecast period. There’s a real need for it with ongoing severe to extreme drought conditions across south Florida. The recent dry and gusty weather resulted in more wildfires (with smoky skies, at times). From late Wednesday night into Thursday morning there may be more smoke around with very light winds.
As Thursday continues (past the morning hours) the breeze will pick up. Because SE winds will prevail, smoke from fires will spread away from southeast Florida.
Looking ahead in the longer range forecast look for higher temperatures, higher humidity, and higher rain chances. That comes as a weakening Front moves our way this weekend. The Front is forecast to slow down along its southward push. With it, we’ll find mostly cloudy days and a rare “unsettled” stretch. It’s worth noting that temperatures won’t cool back behind the front’s eventual passage. Instead, we’ll start the month of March with warmer-than-usual temperatures. It’ll seem like spring is off to an early start.