Near-record warmth Thursday for Southwest Florida
Afternoon highs will run about 10 degrees above average through Saturday.
NEED A ROBOT THAT CAN BRING US SOME MOISTURE. MAY. RAIN ROLL. THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR DRY LIKE AS WE GET INTO NEXT WEEK, I WILL SEE BETTER RAIN CHANCES. WE’VE GOT 2 COLD FRONTS COMING SO LET’S START WITH THAT. WHEN YOU’RE GONNA SEE THE NEXT CHANGE. AND IF YOU LOOK TO THE NORTHWEST, THIS IS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AT 07:00AM. WE’LL STAY FAIRLY WARM THROUGH THE WEEKEND. >> AND WATCH THIS AND LOOK AT THE RAIN NOW. THE VERY LITTLE RAIN THAT WE’RE TRACKING ALONG THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY. A LOT OF IT JUST KIND OF FALLS APART. BEFORE IT MAKES IT HERE TO THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST. IT SEEMS LIKE QUITE A TEASE, BUT I THINK WITH THE NEXT FRONT COMING TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, WE’LL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR A FEW SHOWERS AND SOME MORE SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT. BUT WITH THIS FIRST FRONT WILL SEE SOME CHILLIER START TO MOVE IN AND YOU’LL FEEL THAT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING ON MONDAY WITH TEMPERATURES DOWN IN THE 50’S. ALL RIGHT. SO LET’S FOCUS ON HOW MUCH RAIN WE COULD SEE AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK, MAINLY WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS WE START TO SEE A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN. WE COULD USE MORE THAN THIS. BUT HEY, WE’LL TAKE WHAT WE CAN GET LOOKING AT ABOUT 10TH OF AN INCH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH ACROSS PARTS OF THE GULF COAST. AND WE REALLY NEED TO OBVIOUSLY, HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU JUST LOOK AT YOUR BACKYARD, SEE HOW DRY IT IS. AND WE DO HAVE A SEVERE DROUGHT FOR PORTIONS OF CHARLOTTE AND DESOTO COUNTY AND ORANGE AND THEN A MODERATE DROUGHT FOR THE REST OF THE GULF COAST WILL ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE TO THE DROUGHT MONITOR. COMING UP AT ABOUT 8.30, THIS MORNING. SO IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE THAT SEVERE DROUGHT WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE COLORS. YOU SEE ON THE MAP RIGHT NOW. THAT IS VISIBILITY. AND WE’VE GOT SOME PRETTY FOGGY CONDITIONS UP INTO SECTIONS OF CHARLOTTE, CHARLOTTE COUNTY. AND YOU CAN SEE VISIBILITY THERE IN THE RED BELOW A QUARTER MILE. IF WE CAN. LET’S GO TO OUR GULF COAST STORM TRACKER TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT’S LIKE ON THE ROADS. I BELIEVE WE’RE ON HIGHWAY 40 41 HEADED UP INTO GORDA. SO NOT AS FOGGY THERE, BUT OCCASIONALLY YOU’RE GOING TO RUN INTO SOME POCKETS OF SOME PRETTY DENSE FOG. SO JUST FROM HER TO USE AS LIB DEMS. ALL RIGHT. LET’S COME BACK OUT TO WHETHER ONE, IF WE CAN AND LOOK AT THE NEXT 12 HOURS FOR YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST STARTING OFF AROUND 60 MIGHT WANT A LIGHT JACKET. WE’RE GONNA WARM UP TO 84 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. SO YOU WON’T NEED THE JACKET FOR LONG. PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR MID JANUARY. WE’LL CALL IT EARLY TO MID-JANUARY NEAR RECORD WARMTH. MID 80’S. USUALLY WE’RE AROUND 75 DEGREES. 84 IN GORDA TODAY. 83 PORT CHARLOTTE, LOW TO MID 80’S ACROSS OUR INLAND AREAS. 80 FOR NAPLES. AND THEN WE’RE TRACKING MID 80’S. AS YOU HEAD FARTHER INLAND WILL STAY IN THE 80’S INTO THE WEEKEND. JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A COUPLE OF SPRINKLES. STRAY SHOWERS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AND THAT COLD FRONT STARTS TO PUSH THROUGH AS WE HEAD INTO LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY. SO WHERE THIS RAIN CHANCES THAT I WAS MENTIONING? WELL, LOOKS LIKE THAT SECOND STRONGER COLD FRONT THAT WILL HAVE A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH MOVES IN WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. SO AT THIS TIME OF GOT RAIN, CHANCES AROUND 40% AND WE COULD END UP INCREASING THAT THINGS. LOOK A LITTLE MORE PROMISING OR DROPPING IT. SO JUST KEEP AN EYE ON NEXT WEEK. HOPEFULLY WE’LL GET SOME DECENT RAIN. BUT LOOK AT THOSE TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 70’S, ESPECIALLY THE HEAD TO THE END
Near-record warmth Thursday for Southwest Florida
Afternoon highs will run about 10 degrees above average through Saturday.
Updated: 6:06 AM EST Jan 8, 2026
After another foggy morning for parts of the Gulf Coast, we’re in store for another very warm day by January standards. Daytime highs for most of Southwest Florida will push into the mid-80s, which will be close to today’s record high of 86 degrees set in 1991. The warmer weather comes to an end after the weekend thanks to a strong cold front set to sweep through the Gulf Coast Sunday night into Monday morning.Live Interactive RadarCheck out the interactive Gulf Coast Live RadarWatch your Gulf Coast Weather forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest weather forecast videoYou can also watch newscasts live or on demand hereOr download the Gulf Coast News app to stream on your phone or tabletYour Gulf Coast Storm TeamChief Meteorologist Allyson RaeMeteorologist Caroline CastoraMeteorologist Jim DickeyMeteorologist Jason DunningMeteorologist Lauren HopeMeteorologist Raphael TavernierMeteorologist Rob DunsMeteorologist Sara BlueDOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
After another foggy morning for parts of the Gulf Coast, we’re in store for another very warm day by January standards.
Daytime highs for most of Southwest Florida will push into the mid-80s, which will be close to today’s record high of 86 degrees set in 1991.
The warmer weather comes to an end after the weekend thanks to a strong cold front set to sweep through the Gulf Coast Sunday night into Monday morning.
Live Interactive Radar
Watch your Gulf Coast Weather forecasts on TV or online
Your Gulf Coast Storm Team
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.