Cold front arrives in Central Florida, ushering cooler temperatures in for Daytona Beach

Mary Helen Moore, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read
Beachgoers enjoy some sunshine in front of Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach on Monday, just hours before a cold front made its way through the area. Cooler temps are forecast for the rest of the week.
Beachgoers enjoy some sunshine in front of Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach on Monday, just hours before a cold front made its way through the area. Cooler temps are forecast for the rest of the week.

A cold front that pushed through Florida on Monday brought cooler temperatures to Volusia County, and forecasters say they're here to stay for a little while.

The highs this week will hover in the 60s, with temps unlikely to crack 70 degrees for the next seven days. The lows are forecast to reach into the 40s and 50s.

Jessie Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, said the temperatures are closer to normal than the warm weather that ushered in 2022, already exceeding two temperature records.

"We haven't had any severe weather, just some rain showers and a few lightning strikes," Smith said as the front moved south of Volusia County on Monday afternoon.

The same front dropped sizeable hail in parts of the Treasure Coast later Monday evening.

Smith had a word of caution for beachgoers and boaters until mid-week as gusty winds picked up behind the cold front. A small craft advisory went into effect over Atlantic waters Monday evening.

"You could have some flashy rips, especially near the piers," she said. "Just be cautious… Maybe in the afternoon Wednesday, things will improve."

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Dark clouds to the east signaled the arrival of a cold front along Daytona Beach on Monday. Cooler temperatures are in the forecast for the rest of the week, with little chance of rain.
Dark clouds to the east signaled the arrival of a cold front along Daytona Beach on Monday. Cooler temperatures are in the forecast for the rest of the week, with little chance of rain.

Only trace amounts of rainfall have fallen in the area in the new year, and Smith said the dry weather is expected to continue.

"It's going to be dry really through the next seven days," she said, noting the only chance of rain would likely be Wednesday evening.

Last year was drier and warmer than normal for Daytona Beach, tying 1991 for the ninth warmest on record.

The National Weather Service recorded an average temperature of 72.6 degrees, 1.1 degrees above normal, and nearly 4 inches of rain less than the typical 51 inches that fall on Daytona Beach.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Winter temps return after warm, dry start to 2022 in Central Florida