More records to fall as springlike warmth persists over Florida Peninsula this week
As a major snowstorm makes its way through the country, Accuweather's own storm chaser Reed Timmer shows us just how cold it was in Roanoke, Virginia on Jan. 13.
Warmth more typical of late April and early May will continue to bake a large portion of the Florida Peninsula this week.
The pattern will offer few disruptions to travelers and vacationers as many days will be rain-free.
Areas of fog during the late night and early morning hours may be the only slowdown for motorists and airline passengers.
It will feel nearly summerlike for those visiting the Sunshine State from the north, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Frank Strait.
While the northern tier of the country will deal with up-and-down temperature swings into next week, an area of high pressure parked over the southern Atlantic Ocean will keep pumping unseasonable warmth into Florida and inhibit cold shots from slicing far into the state.
Air conditioners are likely to be running on full force during what is typically the time of year that Floridians can catch a break from high cooling costs.
Temperatures have already reached record levels in Ocala, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. Additional records are likely to fall over the coming days.
Record high temperatures, some of which date back to the 1930s and '40s, will be challenged on a near-daily basis across central and southern portions of the peninsula into the coming weekend.
Highs in the middle to upper 80s, around 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, will be common. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will flirt with 90 F during peak heating in the afternoon.
During February 2017, Tampa had 13 days with temperatures at or above the 80-degree mark, most of which occurred during the last half of the month. The city will likely surpass that mark with ease this year.
The clouds and wet weather that kept northern Florida shielded from the intense warmth early this week will lift northward by Thursday, allowing record-challenging temperatures to invade Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola, as well as many other locations in the Southeastern and South Central states.
Those heading to the beach or amusement parks should take just as many precautions in the heat as they would in the summertime by applying plenty of sunscreen, wearing hats and drinking a great deal of water.
While temperatures may be trimmed back to seasonable levels, especially across the northern tier of the state, over the weekend, warm air will surge northward again during the third week of February.
AccuWeather long-range meteorologists anticipate the fairly dry and warm pattern to linger for the start of spring, which is good news for those with spring break vacation plans in March.
However, the lack of precipitation may cause drought conditions to expand into the peninsula. Meanwhile, the weather patern over the next week will favor a swath of rounds of drenching rain and the risk of flooding from the southern Plains to the Northeast states.
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