Ready for another round of chilly Christmas weather? Florida may get hit with two or more cold waves this week thanks to a polar vortex system, AccuWeather forecasters say.
“We believe that two to three more rounds of intense cold are possible from the Midwest to much of the East, spanning Dec. 10 to 19,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “There is a chance for a frost or freeze late next week as far south as central Florida.”
Rain is sweeping across the state on Monday, Dec. 8, with a 20 percent chance of light or scattered showers and a Northwest wind of 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph in the Jacksonville area.
Central Florida will see cool temps Tuesday with highs in the mid to upper 60s, with the lowest temps in the low to mid 40s by Wednesday and Thursday mornings north and west of Interstate 4.
While much of the rest of the country may see plunging temps and snow, most of Florida, including Jacksonville can expect a pleasant week with cool but not cold temperatures that will slowly rise toward the end of the week.
Here’s a look at what the polar vortex means for Jacksonville, and how low temperatures will drop this week.
What is a polar vortex?
A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air around Earth’s poles. The flow of air runs counter-clockwise (that’s the vortex part), keeping the colder air near the poles.
But many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand and send blasts of frigid air southward along the jet stream, the National Weather Service said.
Polar vortexes are not a new phenomenon but the name is relatively recent.
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How cold will it get in Jacksonville this week? See weekly forecast:
This week, Jacksonville can expect below-average temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a warm-up to more seasonal conditions from Wednesday onward. Skies will remain mostly sunny throughout the week. Here’s how low temperatures are expected to trend:
Wednesday: High 68; low 44
Thursday: High 69; low 42
Will it rain today in Jacksonville?
According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 20 percent chance of showers before noon today with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 63.
Rain Projection 12_08_25
NWS Jacksonville Radar
How cold will it get in Florida this week?
Temperatures may drop into the 30s in North Florida overnight but will gradually warm up through the week, only to drop again Saturday after another cold front moves through, forecasters said.
Pensacola: Â
Wednesday: High 65; low 51
Thursday: High 65; low 55
Tallahassee:
Wednesday: High 66; low 45
Thursday: High 68; low 45
Daytona Beach:
Wednesday: High 70; low 50
Thursday: High 70; low 52
Orlando:
Wednesday: High 72; low 49
Thursday: High 71; low 50
Melbourne:
Wednesday: High 74; low 53
Thursday: High 73; low 55
Port St. Lucie:
Wednesday: High 77; low 52
Thursday: High 74; low 53
West Palm Beach:
Wednesday: High 76; low 63
Thursday: High 73; low 65
Naples:
Wednesday: High 76; low 58
Thursday: High 77; low 60
Fort Myers:
Wednesday: High 76; low 54
Thursday: High 76; low 54
Sarasota:
Wednesday: High 69; low 58
Thursday: High 70; low 57
Tampa:
Wednesday: High 72; low 54
Thursday: High 73; low 54
St. Petersburg:
Wednesday: High 71; low 57
Thursday: High 73; low 56
Weather watches and warnings issued across the U.S.National weather radar. See storms moving across USWill it rain in Florida Monday?
Rain expected across most of the state Monday, Dec. 8, with lighter, scattered showers in North and Central Florida and heavier showers with wind gusts up to 30 mph in South and Southwest Florida.
Weather alerts issued in FloridaCurrent drought conditions in Florida
While North Florida has been experiencing exceptional drought this season, lingering showers and weak dispersion winds are keeping the threat level low, forecasters said.
“Outside the potential for low dispersion Tuesday afternoon, no other fire weather concerns,” the National Weather Service said Monday.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Polar vortex’s Arctic blast to reach Florida—Jacksonville forecast