New Year’s Eve chill: Expect a cooldown in Central Florida as we head into 2026
THERE. YES. FIRST WARNING, METEOROLOGIST MARQUISE MEDA HERE. MARQUISE. MOTHER NATURE GAVE HER A NICE CHRISTMAS PRESENT BECAUSE IT’S REALLY NICE OUTSIDE. IT’S BEEN GORGEOUS. WARM. IF YOU LIKE IT WARM, IT’S REALLY NICE OUTSIDE. WELL, IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT WARM, WE WILL SEE SOME CHANGE. RIGHT? YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT. THERE’S ALWAYS SOME CHANGE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO PLUMMET SUBSTANTIALLY BY NEW YEAR’S EVE. WE’LL BE FALLING ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE 40S AND THE 30S. AND AS FAR AS YOUR WIND CHILL, YOUR FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES. YOU CAN SUBTRACT TEN FROM THE NUMBERS ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW, BUT HERE’S WHAT YOUR ACTUAL THERMOMETER IS GOING TO BE READING 43 DEGREES IN ORLANDO ON NEW YEAR’S EVE. TO START OFF, THE DAY LOOKS LIKE 34 UP NORTH IN OCALA, 35 IN THE VILLAGES. SO SOME OF THE COOLEST AIR THAT WE’VE FELT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, NOT THE COOLEST THAT WE’VE FELT SO FAR THIS YEAR THOUGH. THAT WAS BACK ON NOVEMBER 11TH AS WE DROPPED TO 36 DEGREES IN ORLANDO. YOUR NEW YEAR’S EVE WAKE UP MORNING LOW, THAT’S GOING TO BE 43, AND WE’LL CARRY THAT COOLER WEATHER INTO NEW YEAR’S DAY AS WELL. 42 OVERNIGHT AS WE TURN THE CALENDAR OVER TO 2026. AND BY NEXT FRIDAY, WE’RE STILL IN THE MID 40S AS WELL. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL PLUMMET INTO THE 60S, BUT TODAY WE’RE BACK IN THE 70S. IT’S BEEN GORGEOUS HERE ON CHRISTMAS DAY, BARELY EVEN A CLOUD IN SIGHT. OFF IN OCALA, WE’RE STILL SPORTING 79 DEGREE TEMPERATURES. IN FACT, UPPER 70S FOR MANY OF US, LIKE ORLANDO, 76, KISSIMMEE 78, SAINT CLOUD 78 DEGREES AS WELL. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS IN ORLANDO, THOUGH, CLEAR SKIES WILL BE A STAPLE TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES DROP BACK INTO THE UPPER 50S OVERNIGHT WITH A CHANCE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF PATCHY FOG. WE’LL START OFF WITH A WESTERLY BREEZE ROLLING OVER THE GULF COAST, AND THAT’S GOING TO BRING IN THE GULF COAST MOISTURE. THEREFORE, UNDER HIGH PRESSURE, CALM WINDS, WE COULD SEE THIS FOG BEGIN TO SPREAD. IT WILL BE PATCHY IN MOST AREAS, DENSE IN OTHERS. ULTIMATELY, THOUGH, THE FOG WILL LIFT AS YOUR DAY DOES PROGRESS. HIGHS TOMORROW SHOULD BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 71 AND 80 DEGREES. ALMOST A COPY AND PASTE DIRECTLY FROM TODAY DURING THE AFTERNOON. SO ONCE YOU GET PAST THAT FOGGY START, WE HAVE A LOT OF WARMTH LYING AHEAD OF US ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY, WITH TEMPERATURES EITHER IN THE UPPER 70S OR LOWER 80S. BUT ONE OF THESE THINGS IS CLEARLY NOT LIKE THE OTHER, THAT BEING YOUR TUESDAY AFTERNOON HIGHS DROPPING FROM 80 DEGREES ON MONDAY TO THE MID 60S ON TUESDAY, COURTESY OF THIS COLD FRONT MOVING IN WITH THE CHANCE FOR A COUPLE SHOWERS HERE AND THERE. BUT THE WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL SURELY BE MOVING OUT BY TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY, AND EVEN THURSDAY WE’LL BE BELOW OUR SEASONAL AVERAGE. IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH OF OUR LONG RANGE FORECASTS ARE DEPICTING THE SAME THING. THE GFS HAS YOU DROPPING DOWN TO THE 40S ON THURSDAY. SAME WITH THE EUROPEAN MODEL AS WELL. SO PRETTY UNIFORM CONDITIONS THERE AND AS FAR AS RAINFALL IS CONCERNED, WE MIGHT SEE A COUPLE ISOLATED RETURNS LESS THAN HALF OF AN INCH. IF YOU’RE NORTH OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN MODEL GFS, BARELY ANY RAIN. BUT HERE’S WHAT I’M CURIOUS ABOUT. THOSE FEELS-LIKE CONDITIONS DROPPING ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE 30S, IF NOT THE 20S IN SOME AREAS. BY WEDNESDAY MORNING IT’S GOING TO FEEL LIKE 29 DEGREES IN OCALA, FEELING LIKE 32. IN THE VILLAGES. ORLANDO IT’LL FEEL LIKE YOU’RE BACK IN THE UPPER 30S AS WELL, SO YOU’LL NEED TO BUNDLE UP HEADING INTO THE NEW YEAR. BUT THIS WEEKEND, YOU’RE NOT LOOKING TOO BAD. 79 FOR YOUR HIGH ON SATURDAY, 80 ON SUNDAY. KEEP IN MIND, THOUGH, CHANGE IS ON ITS WAY. LOOK TO SEE TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE 60S BY NEW YEAR’S EVE THROUGH NEW YEAR’
New Year’s Eve chill: Expect a cooldown in Central Florida as we head into 2026
Updated: 10:32 AM EST Dec 26, 2025
Temperatures across Central Florida are expected to drop as we welcome a new year. A cold front will move in on Monday, Dec. 29, sending low temps into the upper 30s or low 40s for a few days. The high on New Year’s Eve will be in the low 60s after morning temps dip into the upper 30s and low 40s. On New Year’s Day on Thursday, temps will be slightly warmer, reaching the mid-60s. Looking aheadFirst Warning Weather Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarSevere Weather AlertsDownload the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts. The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.
Temperatures across Central Florida are expected to drop as we welcome a new year.
A cold front will move in on Monday, Dec. 29, sending low temps into the upper 30s or low 40s for a few days.
The high on New Year’s Eve will be in the low 60s after morning temps dip into the upper 30s and low 40s.
On New Year’s Day on Thursday, temps will be slightly warmer, reaching the mid-60s.
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This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Looking ahead
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
First Warning Weather
Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
Download the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts.
The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.