Second cold front of 2023 forecast to arrive in Florida just in time for weekend

The second cold front of 2023 will arrive just in time to affect the second weekend of the new year.

The front could pose several threats to Florida as it moves down the state, including thunderstorms with damaging straight-line winds, according to the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.

Moisture will begin to increase along the Panhandle today as a weak warm front moves through ahead of the cold front, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

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Temperatures will warm up compared to Tuesday, with high temperatures reaching the low to middle 70s across the state today.

When is the worst weather expected?

Most forecasts predict downpours and thunderstorms should pass through the Pensacola area Thursday morning, through Panama City during the early afternoon, and Tallahassee in the evening Thursday.

Overnight Thursday into early Friday morning, a weakening squall line should move into North Florida, including Gainesville and Jacksonville. Although unlikely, a few cells could retain their strength during the overnight hours.

The Storm Prediction Center is predicting a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) for severe weather across the PanhandleThursday. While the Storm Prediction Center does have most of the slight risk area to the north of Florida, northern portions of Santa Rosa, Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties are included within the area.

What are the greatest threats from the storms?

The main threats associated with this line of storms will be damaging winds, with gusts near 40 to 60 mph, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Tornadoes also are possible as the storms move east across the Panhandle Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, Mobile.

Rainfall totals are forecast to be less than an inch, and there currently is no organized risk for flash flooding. Stronger storms may produce heavy rainfall at times, leading to higher rainfall totals locally, but the flash flood concern remains minimal across the Panhandle.

How cold will it get?

Cooler air will begin to filter in behind the front overnight Thursday along the Panhandle, bringing temperatures into the upper 40s to low 50s. Northeast Florida and the Peninsula will see overnight low temperatures in the upper 50s to 60s.

Low temperatures Saturday will drop into the low to middle 30s through the interior Panhandle and Suwanee Valley.Coastal regions along the Panhandle and Northeast Florida through the I-4 corridor will drop into the middle toupper 30s. Through Central and South Florida low temperatures in the 40s and low 50s can be expected.

Patchy frost will be possible across portions of the I-95 corridor across Northeast Florida and interior NatureCoast overnight Saturday and into early Sunday morning.

In rural locations and in areas along and north of I-10, lows could fall below freezing on Saturday and Sunday.

Weather forecast for Pensacola into the weekend

• Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

• Thursday night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 45. West wind around 15 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

• Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.

• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

• Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Weather forecast for Tallahassee into the weekend

• Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Patchy fog before 11 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

• Thursday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Low around 49. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

• Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 32.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 62.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Weather forecast for Jacksonville into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon.

• Thursday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 55. Southwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

• Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a northwest wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

• Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Breezy.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy.

• Saturday night: Areas of frost after 5am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 35.

• Sunday: Areas of frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 60.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Weather forecast for Daytona Beach into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

• Thursday night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph after midnight.

• Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m., then a slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Weather forecast for Melbourne into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

• Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 42. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.

Weather forecast for Port St. Lucie into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Calm wind.

• Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light southwest wind becoming west southwest 10 to 15 mph in the morning.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. West wind around 10 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 40. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind around 5 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Calm wind.

Weather forecast for West Palm Beach into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. South wind around 9 mph becoming southwest after midnight.

• Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Windy, with a west wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a northwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Northwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Weather forecast for Naples into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning.

• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Calm wind.

• Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a northwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 43. North wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Northeast wind around 8 mph.

• Sunday night: Clear, with a low around 50.

Weather forecast for Fort Myers into the weekend

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

• Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Windy, with a southwest wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 40. North northeast wind 5 to 9 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 66. North northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Weather forecast for Sarasota into the weekend

• Thursday night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 76. East southeast wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.

• Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 13 to 18 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

• Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

• Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 42. Northeast wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.

• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida cold front: Tornadoes, damaging winds possible