What’s next for South Florida’s weather? There are two changes. What the forecast says

The flood warnings lifted Friday morning and South Florida — in particular, Fort Lauderdale — gets a reprieve from the historic rains that closed an airport, schools and stranded residents for days.

KNOW MORE: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reopens after flooding

How long will the good weather last?

The reprieve from more rains could last but a few hours.

“We still can’t rule out some thunderstorms over the east coast areas later this afternoon — maybe after 2 or 3 o’clock going into the early evening at 7 or 8,” National Weather Service meteorologist Barry Baxter said Friday.

The rain or storm chance Friday afternoon is between 30% to 40%, he said.

“That puts a little more nuisance problems on Fort Lauderdale because of all that rain. Right now we’re looking at most maybe an inch or two inches of rainfall in that area if a thunderstorm does move over,’” Baxter said.

If Fort Lauderdale does get doused again with another couple inches of rain Friday on neighborhoods that remain flooded, it is possible that the weather service could issue another round of flash flood warnings, Baxter said.

“Depends where it falls and how long it falls because the grounds are saturated still out there from all that rain so it won’t take much to cause flooding,” he said.

Weekend forecast

Saturday will be the day a weary and soaked South Florida populace has hoped for.

An area of high pressure is building over Florida, Baxter said, and that will keep the rain away on Saturday, into Sunday morning. The chances for showers or thunderstorms over that mostly sunny day drop to about 10%, maybe 20%.

If there are showers the moisture would be coming off the sea breezes and concentrate more on the interior around the Lake Okeechobee area, Baxter said.

Saturday and Sunday temperatures will be mid-80s, around 83, with lows at night in the mid- to lower-70s.

The Sunday switch

But then Sunday afternoon and into Monday the low that brought the warm front over South Florida on Wednesday issues its cold front portion, Baxter said.

That frontal portion should come sweeping through South Florida sometime Monday, and with its southwesterly wind flow, that should allow the wet stuff to push from the interior back to the East Coast again, Baxter said.

“Right now, the storm does have a marginal risk for severe weather down to Lake Okeechobee, mostly central North Florida, but we can’t rule out one or two strong thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into the evening hours,” he told the Miami Herald early Friday afternoon.

The weather service forecasts rain chances at 40% Sunday and 60% Monday with scattered to numerous showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening hours as the front moves through the area.

Fort Lauderdale’s storm chance Sunday night is higher than the Miami area’s — it’s at 50%.

How cold will it get?

The cool-down Monday is marginal. Look for a high around 83 during the day and a drop to 69 overnight into early Tuesday.

Rain chances Tuesday and Wednesday are 20% to 30% with highs near 80 and lows about five degrees cooler at night in the mid-70s.

Thursday could be wet again, at 50%.

Weekend weather around Florida

▪ Florida Keys: A weak high-pressure ridge over the western Atlantic will allow dry, warm, and calm weather over the weekend, the weather service in Key West shared on its Friday social media post. Sunny skies, gentle breezes around 5 to 10 mph and highs around 86. A cold front will increase shower chances starting on Sunday night to 30%. Lows will be in the lower-70s.

▪ Tampa Bay: Taylor Swift kicked off her three-night engagement at Raymond James Stadium Thursday with shows scheduled Friday and Saturday nights. Some Miami fans are making the drive. Look for mostly clear skies for Swift’s sold-out engagement with temperatures around 70 at night and mid-80s Friday to Sunday, according to the weather service forecast for the stadium area. Rain moves in after Swift moves out. Rain chances are 40% Sunday.

▪ Orlando: Friday brings a 50% chance of showers and a 20-degree temperature spread: 86 in the day, 65 at night. Sunny, hot Saturday and a 50% chance of rain again Sunday.