A cold front's coming to Florida; fire threat remains high, hazardous seas, too

The same low-pressure system traveling over the Northeast on Thursday pushes a cold front over Florida. The morning commute has been wet across the Panhandle, and the rain will continue to move eastward toward North Florida during the early afternoon hours. Much moisture is being squeezed out of the front as it progresses over Central Florida, and there will be even fewer rain chances for South Florida.

Central Florida could expect a few scattered showers to move over Seminole and Orange County after 4 p.m. through the early evening. At the same time, the Tampa Bay area could also deal with some light, passing showers during the afternoon commute home. By 10 p.m., the front should be around Lake Okeechobee, but there won't be much rain attached to it anymore. South Florida can expect a shift in winds overnight into Friday morning and another impulse of very dry air to take over to end the workweek and through much of the weekend.

Fire's burning in South Florida.

A 14,000-acre wildfire that started earlier this week closed an 18-mile stretch of U.S. 1 and continues to bring smokey skies and bad air quality to parts of the Florida Keys. Miami-Dade and Florida Forest Service continue to fight the wildfire, only 20% contained as of Wednesday night. This wildfire is not threatening any homes or structures, but it is causing delays and detours to many traveling to and from the Keys during one of the busiest weeks of the year when many are on Spring Break. There is some smoke affecting the Homestead area. If the fires are not contained by Friday, the north winds will cause bad air quality over the northern portions of the Florida Keys and even southeastern Miami-Dade County.

A red flag warning continues to be in effect, and we forecast it to continue through the rest of the week and possibly into the weekend as drier weather sinks in place. More worrisome is that the winds are set to increase after the cold front passes with gusts up to 20 mph on Friday for South Florida. A high-pressure system will move over Florida, making the winds subside for the weekend, and the north winds will continue, bringing dry air to the area. Therefore, residents across South Florida and much of the Peninsula are recommended to avoid any activities involving fires, which can cause sparks.

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Will the temperatures drop after this cold front?

Temperatures on Friday morning will be in the low 40s across the Panhandle through North Florida. Central Florida will wake up to clear skies and temperatures in the mid to upper-40s, while Southwest Florida will have lows in the mid-50s and Southeast Florida around the upper-50s. Crisp temperatures will reign in the Sunshine State, with a lot of sunshine on Friday and for much of the weekend. Highs on Friday will be in the mid-60s across the Panhandle, in the upper-60s across Central Florida, and the mid-70s across the South, with low humidity for all.

How about the beaches?

Friday will be a rough day across both coasts, with small craft advisories in place until late night, as there will be strong winds and high seas. There is also the risk of rip currents. The marine area will experience improving conditions with decreasing seas and winds, mainly from the east-southeast, between 5 to 10 knots, just in time for the weekend. Please watch out for any flags that might be up at the beach, read the signage, and swim near a lifeguard.