Florida to Plunge 40 Degrees With New Polar Cold Front

A sign welcomes state visitors in Becker, Florida. The Sunshine State is expected to experience double-digit temperature drops next week. Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Florida will experience double-digit temperature drops statewide on Sunday and into next week after cooler air blanketed the state this past weekend.

A "polar cold front" is expected to bring the cooler temperatures on Sunday, with the coldest air hitting next week, according to Orlando TV station WKMG. Central Florida could see temperatures in the 30s, and areas northwest of Interstate 4 could experience freezing temperatures, the station said.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne, Florida, posted temperatures showing highs in the upper 70s and low 80s, noting on X (formerly Twitter) that this is "slightly warmer."

The Sunshine State will also face a marginal risk for severe weather on Thanksgiving, according to the NWS office in Tallahassee. The risk level is 1 out of 5 and is due to the cold front, the office said.

The NWS Climate Prediction Center warned of a potential "hard freeze" affecting the Southeast, including northern parts of Florida. The center said this will likely hit early next week. "Please protect susceptible vegetation, and if you are traveling south, bring your jackets!" the center said on X.

"There's not any headline risks per se, but that doesn't mean it's not significant," William Churchill, an NWS forecaster at the Weather Prediction Center, told Newsweek on Tuesday about the upcoming forecast.

"Temperature forecast drops for the highs is also significant, from 80s to the 60s going into next week, Churchill said.

Last weekend, pockets of Florida experienced temperatures in the 30s even as far south as Lake Okeechobee, according to meteorologist Jeff Berardelli at Tampa TV station WFLA.

"It's a testament to the influence of dry air, clear skies and light winds. Radiational cooling," Berardelli said on X.

Meanwhile, across the United States, multiple states in the West are under winter weather warnings as snow is projected for California.

On Monday, the NWS posted on X a warning of the incoming winter weather, saying in part, "Heavy snow is expected early this week across the higher terrain of the western U.S. and the UP of Michigan. Get the latest forecast before you travel at http://weather.gov."

Snow is already falling in Reno, Nevada, according to the NWS station there, and a winter storm warning is in effect for the Greater Lake Tahoe area. "It's starting to snow up there, impacting travel. Make sure to heed any and all restrictions," the station wrote on X on Monday.

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