Strong storms in Central Florida ahead of ‘cool front.’ Here’s the timing

ORLANDO, Fla. – Changes to our typical summertime pattern are coming to Central Florida for a few days all thanks to the arrival of a late-season ‘cool front’ by the weekend.

FRIDAY

Storms could start developing as early as Friday morning, especially near the I-4 corridor and areas northwest of Orlando. Through the afternoon and evening, expect more storms to fire up in the warm, unstable atmosphere. They’ll be moving fairly quickly toward the east-southeast at 15 to 25 mph, but that won’t stop them from packing a punch. Quick bursts of heavy rain, with up to 2 inches are possible, along with frequent lightning, gusty winds around 40 to 50 mph and even small hail.

While most storms will be garden variety, there’s a slight chance a few could become strong enough to produce wind gusts near 60 mph. This is why the Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the area under a Marginal Risk (level 1/5) for strong to severe storms.

And it’s not just the storms, heat is a big factor today, too. Highs will climb into the upper 80s to low 90s, and when you factor in the humidity, it’ll feel like 100 degrees.

WEEKEND

By early Saturday morning, another round of showers and storms is expected to move in from north to south as a late season cold front begins to slide through Central Florida.

Latest models are picking up on showers and storms sweeping across the region in the morning through lunchtime. The setup includes a small dose of instability which will increase a risk for a few stronger storms with winds, rain and lightning.

Most of the activity should move out by early afternoon as temperatures remain below average in the upper 80s with humidity levels dropping into the night.

By Saturday afternoon, those storms should push toward the Treasure Coast, with drier air gradually filtering into areas farther north.

Expect the most comfortable day in weeks to settle in by Sunday with low humidity and average temperatures in the upper 80s.

NEXT WEEK

Looking ahead to next week, the stormy pattern doesn’t completely disappear, but things should calm down somewhat. Rain chances will stay lower than recent weeks at 20-40% with highs in the low to mid 90s.