ORLANDO, Fla. – This past weekend brought a hint of chill to the air and a touch of much-needed rain. As we move into Monday afternoon, the mercury in Central Florida is set to rise above average, making a quick push towards 80 degrees. By Wednesday, we could very well be basking in temperatures exceeding 80 degrees!

For the first time since the cooler conditions set in, there’s been a shift in the weather narrative.

Recently, we’ve seen brief yet intense bursts of cold air sweeping across the region, only for temperatures to swiftly rebound to Florida’s usual warmth.

Heading into the weekend and particularly into next week, there’s a possibility this pattern may alter slightly. The above-average temperatures may persist only until Friday before dipping again over the weekend.

Meanwhile, a winter storm is gathering strength in the north and is expected to surge out of the Rocky Mountains into the Great Plains by early Friday. While the storm itself might not impact us directly, the cold front trailing behind it is set to usher in another wave of chilly polar air.

Our highs could plummet a good 10-15 degrees between Saturday and Sunday, and even further than that as we move into Monday, Jan. 12.

What’s interesting about this event is our computer models and long-range “teleconnections” are implying we could see a few reinforcing shots of cooler weather after this first front comes down.

That would mean average if not below average morning lows and afternoon highs stick around far longer than the 2-3 day stints we’ve observed up to this point.

Also – a quick crash course on that fancy term I used a couple lines above – a teleconnection if you break it in half is a way for us meteorologists to draw conclusions on what our weather could look like locally by examining the big picture pattern.

“Tele” means “from a distance” and connection we’re all very familiar with. Distant weather phenomena that are all connected together that influence the way our patterns behave not only here in Central Florida but from as wide of a view as the entire eastern half of the country.

The few different puzzle pieces I like to check out throughout fall or winter are showing signals that cold air could try becoming a more frequent occurrence through the mid-portions of January. Then another warm spell looms on the horizon approaching February.

So if you’re a big fan of the usual warmth Florida has to offer, enjoy the week ahead! No one, not even Mother Nature, can take that from you!

But then, down the pike a ways, colder temps are set to return to the neighborhood.