Central Florida Weekend Weather: Detailed Rainfall Forecast and Expectations

ORLANDO, Fla. – As we reach the midpoint of the week, all eyes are on the approaching weekend, with weather forecasts predicting a significant storm system set to sweep across the southern United States. This system is expected to impact Central Florida, prompting residents and event planners to brace for its arrival.

While the storm’s approach is a certainty, the finer details of its impact warrant closer examination. Current projections suggest that the most severe effects will hit by Sunday night. This timing is crucial, particularly for NASCAR enthusiasts hoping for a clear race day.

With the green flag scheduled to be waved around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, there appears to be a window of approximately 3 to 5 hours of favorable weather conditions before the anticipated cold front makes its presence felt. This could potentially allow for the race to proceed without significant interruptions.

However, as we are still several days out, the exact radar picture for Saturday and Sunday remains uncertain. Our more precise computer models typically offer forecasts up to only 2-3 days ahead. As the weekend draws closer, updates will provide clearer insights into the storm’s trajectory and intensity.

We’re still a little too far to see exactly what the radar could look like for Saturday and Sunday, as our higher resolution computer models typically go out 2-3 days at best.

Our lower resolution, global computer models, like the Euro and the GFS are starting to narrow down the window of rainy conditions to 7 p.m. Sunday night into early Monday morning.

We should be prepared for periods of heavier rainfall, which is truthfully a much-needed blessing around these parts considering the increasing drought conditions.

There will likely be areas who witness some rare thunder and lightning. I say “rare” since it’s been so long since that Florida-synonymous phenomena has actually taken place.

I’m still monitoring for the threat of strong thunderstorms. We’ve been warming up persistently, and as we wander through Friday and Valentine’s Day Saturday, we’ll see a bump up in the moisture department.

Pending when the cold front arrives here in the Florida Peninsula, we may have enough energy and juice present to get some extra lightning popping, and occasional gusty winds in your more organized storms.

Thankfully, it appears the threat for any severe weather continues to diminish as we get closer to the start time for all this.

With all cold frontal systems, we should anticipate for some sporty winds as well.

Before the passing of the cold front, winds out of the southwest could gust upwards of 15-25 mph before they back out of the northwest once that nose of cold air moves through.

The overall temperature drop here won’t be that excessive despite the winds we’ll feel along the backside of the storm.

You could call this more of a comfy front than a cold front. Temperatures in the morning will sink back into the upper 40s and low 50s with afternoon high’s leveling out somewhere in the low to mid 70s. Beautiful Florida weather in my very humble opinion.

Monday should be mostly clear, just breezy. If the front continues to move at the expected pace we’re seeing, your morning commute should see little weather related impacts as well.

Then we’re back to tracking warmer than average conditions as that subtropical ridge remains in place over the Gulf and southeast United States.

It almost looks like winter has concluded for the Sunshine State. I’ll have more to come on that momentarily.