Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers Tonight
Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers Tonight
WEBSITE AT WESH.COM. SPEAKING OF THIS COLD WEATHER. LET’S BRING IN FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST MARQUISE MEDA MARQUISE. WHAT ARE THOSE TEMPERATURES REALLY GOING TO START DROPPING? WILL WE FEEL IT TONIGHT? YEAH, TEMPERATURES WILL FALL DOWN INTO THE 30S IN THE 40S THIS EVENING. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT TUESDAY WILL BE THE COLDEST DAY THROUGHOUT THE WORK WEEK. SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE IMPACT WEATHER TODAY FOR RED FLAG WARNINGS IN PLACE, WE ALSO HAVE A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING ISSUED FOR MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY COMING UP. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RED FLAG WARNINGS IN EFFECT. FIRST, I KNOW THE DANGEROUS COLD WAITS FOR US OUTDOORS ON MONDAY MORNING, BUT WE DO HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN PLACE, VERY DRY AIR, AND ON TOP OF THAT, VERY LITTLE MOISTURE DOWN INTO THE SOIL, RIGHT. SO A LOT OF DEAD GRASS, WHICH COULD SPAWN SOME FIRES IF YOU HAVE ANY EMBERS FLYING AROUND. WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE BURN BANS ACROSS NEARLY ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. AND ALSO A RED FLAG WARNING FOR EVERY SINGLE COUNTY, WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING POLK. DUE TO THOSE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY. HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FASTEST WINDS THAT WE FELT SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON. 32 MILE PER HOUR CONDITIONS IN WINTER HAVEN. NEARLY JUST AS QUICK IN PLACES LIKE ORLANDO AND KISSIMMEE. BUT WHAT REALLY TAKES THE CAKE IS MELBOURNE, WITH THE WIND GUSTS OF 48MPH. SO DUE TO THE COLD FRONT MOVING IN, WE HAD A VERY TIGHT AND COMPACT PRESSURE GRADIENT. THE TIGHTER THE GRADIENT WELL, THE STRONGER THE WINDS AND THAT’S WHAT WE SAW EARLIER IN THE DAY. WINDS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO SUBSIDE AS THE FRONT DIPS TO THE SOUTH, BUT YOU STILL SEE A FEW SHOWERS TOWARDS SOUTHERN FLORIDA IN THE MIAMI AREA. TEMPERATURE WISE, THOUGH, WE HAVEN’T COOLED DOWN QUITE YET. YOU’LL FEEL THE COOL DOWN TOMORROW MORNING. STEPPING OUTSIDE TO TEMPS IN THE 30S AND 40S, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU SIT AT 72 DEGREES WITH WINDS FROM THE NORTH AND THE WEST. THAT NORTHERLY COMPONENT WILL COOL YOU DOWN TONIGHT, AS WELL AS CLEAR SKIES. AND WE HAVE THOSE WINDS AT 15MPH IN MELBOURNE, A LITTLE BIT FASTER ACROSS THE I-4 CORRIDOR, 70 MILE PER HOUR SPEEDS IN ORLANDO. ALSO SANFORD AS WE’RE STILL BREEZY HEADING INTO THE EVENING. SO IMPACT WEATHER SEVEN AND 9:00. AND THEN AS WE ROLL OUT OF BED ON MONDAY MORNING, WE’VE GOT SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS IN PLACE FOR THE COLD STRETCH THAT WE’RE GOING TO UNDERGO HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. AS I MENTIONED, THOUGH, TUESDAY WILL BE EVEN COLDER, TEMPERATURES DROPPING DOWN TO 27 DEGREES IN OCALA, 35 IN ORLANDO, RIGHT ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL IN SANFORD AT. IT’S IN DELAND, DAYTONA AND PALM COAST WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS OF 32 DEGREES ON TUESDAY. BUT YOU CAN FEEL NEARLY JUST AS COLD AS YOU FACTOR IN THE WIND CHILL ON MONDAY MORNING, DROPPING TEMPS TO 27 IN PALM COAST BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL IS WHAT YOUR WINDSHIELD VALUE IS GOING TO SHOW IN DELAND AND ACROSS DAYTONA BEACH, AS WE DO SEE THAT COLD FRONT CONTINUING TO PULL FURTHER INTO THE ATLANTIC, HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO SETTLE IN. THAT MEANS OVERNIGHT YOU HAVE CLEAR SKIES, SO YOU LET GO OF THE HEAT DURING THE DAY. BUT LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. BY WEDNESDAY, WE’LL START TO BOUNCE BACK TO OUR SEASONAL AVERAGES IN THE 70S. STILL, THOUGH, IT’S A VERY COLD START TO THE WORKWEEK AS WE HAVE THE SEVERE WARNING WEATHER ISSUED AND THEN IMPACT WEATHER AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF RED FLAG WARNINGS IN PLACE. SO TOMORROW A COLD MORNING START. SUNSHINE IS BACK DURING THE DAY, BUT YOU WON’T REALLY FEEL THE HEAT IN THE AFTERNOON AS ALL OF US WILL BE STUCK IN THE 50S HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THEN MONDAY NIGHT HEADING INTO TUESDAY, WE HAVE A FREEZE WATCH ISSUED AS YOUR OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DIP ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE 30S IN ORLANDO, AND WE COULD POSSIBLY SEE THE UPPER 20S AS WE HEAD INTO OUR NORTHWESTERNMOST COUNTIES. SO WE’RE WATCHING OUT FOR ANY POTENTIAL HARD FREEZE. IF YOU’RE JUST WEST OF THE I-75 QUARTER ALTOGETHER, YOUR SEVEN DAY STACK UP LIKE THIS. TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY MORNING STARTING TO FEEL SEASONAL IN THE AFTERNOON ON WEDNESDAY. AND THEN WE SAY HELLO TO THE 80S AND
Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers Tonight
Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers Tonight
Updated: 7:19 PM EST Feb 22, 2026
Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers TonightA lot on our plate for the next few days weather wise in Central Florida. Tonight, a powerful cold front is sweeping to our south. This was responsible for the few showers we saw this morning, and the gusty winds we’ll continue to see tonight. Gusts have surged past 40 mph, and have prompted a Red Flag Warning to remain in place tonight, and will be back in the picture Monday Night as well. The combination of these breezy winds and dry conditions have created dangerous fire threats all across Central Florida. Behind the front, much colder and much drier air moves in fast. Temperatures tumble into the 30s/40s tonight with wind chills below 30 degrees. Even colder air arrives Monday night, heading into Tuesday where a Freeze Watch is in effect for most of east central Florida. Lows could drop into the upper 20s and low 30s so protect pets, plants, and people.
Early Workweek Freeze Concerns in Central Florida – But an Increased Fire Danger Threat Lingers Tonight
A lot on our plate for the next few days weather wise in Central Florida. Tonight, a powerful cold front is sweeping to our south. This was responsible for the few showers we saw this morning, and the gusty winds we’ll continue to see tonight. Gusts have surged past 40 mph, and have prompted a Red Flag Warning to remain in place tonight, and will be back in the picture Monday Night as well.
The combination of these breezy winds and dry conditions have created dangerous fire threats all across Central Florida.
Behind the front, much colder and much drier air moves in fast. Temperatures tumble into the 30s/40s tonight with wind chills below 30 degrees. Even colder air arrives Monday night, heading into Tuesday where a Freeze Watch is in effect for most of east central Florida. Lows could drop into the upper 20s and low 30s so protect pets, plants, and people.