Weekend weather: There won't be any rain, but it will be hotter than normal

James Coleman, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
Fans line the 10th fairway during final round action of The Honda Classic at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022.
Fans line the 10th fairway during final round action of The Honda Classic at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022.

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The peak of "the season" in Palm Beach County reaches a crescendo of sorts this weekend with multiple outdoor events aside from the traditional beach, boating and golfing activities for South Floridians.

The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, the opening of spring training in Jupiter and West Palm Beach, the Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth Beach, the Delray Beach Open and FuelFest at the South Florida Fairgrounds are mega outdoor events that will draw thousands of locals and out-of-towners to Palm Beach County this weekend.

The good news: It will almost assuredly be rain-free with moderate winds. You won't need an umbrella.

The bad news: It will be hotter than normal, with temperatures hovering in the upper 80s from Thursday to Sunday. You won't need a sweatshirt.

You will, however, need sunscreen and sunglasses and plenty of water.

The record high for any day in February in Palm Beach County is 90, set Feb. 10, 1949, according to data from the National Weather Service. The mercury shouldn't reach the 90 mark, but it will hover in the mid to upper-80s on Thursday and Friday, the first two days of the Honda Classic golf tournament.

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St. Louis Cardinals fans wait for autographs during spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., on Friday, March 18, 2022.
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The average daily high in February for Palm Beach County is 77 so temperatures will be close to 10 degrees above normal.

Much of the southeast could see record temperatures from Richmond, Va. (83 is February high) to Orlando (90 is February high).

Weather for the PGA Tour's annual stop in Palm Beach County is usually pristine, but the tournament has had its share of frigid and windy conditions in 2020 and even a monsoon-like experience in 2015 when 5 to 7 inches of rain fell in areas of northern Palm Beach County, flooding the course and causing $75,000 of damage.

Groundskeeper Roberto Garcia waters down hot spots around a tee during the Honda Classic practice rounds at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens on February 20, 2018. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post)
Groundskeeper Roberto Garcia waters down hot spots around a tee during the Honda Classic practice rounds at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens on February 20, 2018. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post)

This year, as golfers transition from the 50s and 60s of the California swing to Florida, they will be experiencing as much as a 30-degree temperature increase. They won't be needing their sweaters and vests that they donned last week at Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles.

Why will it be warmer than normal this weekend?

Why will it be warmer than normal in Florida this week? There's a huge high pressure system that is parked over much of Central and South Florida and the Bahamas and is blocking any cool fronts.
Why will it be warmer than normal in Florida this week? There's a huge high pressure system that is parked over much of Central and South Florida and the Bahamas and is blocking any cool fronts.

There's a huge high pressure system that is parked over much of Central and South Florida and the Bahamas and that high is blocking any cool fronts. It will stay that way for the next week or so.

If that high pressure system wasn't in place, South Florida would likely be feeling the effects of colder weather that is coming from the western United States via a strong jet stream.

In Minnesota, there is potential for a foot or more of snow. That hazardous winter weather, including freezing rain, will make its way into the Midwest, particularly Michigan and interior Pennsylvania and New York state.

On Thursday, the first day of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, a high is expected to reach 87. Contrast that with Scottsbluff, Neb., which could set a record low of minus-13 set in 1993. That's a 100-degree difference.

Palm Beach County weekend weather

  • Thursday: High 87, Low 69. Mostly sunny with 9% chance of rain. (Record high is 88 in 1991)

  • Friday: High 86, Low 70. Mostly sunny with 6% chance of rain. (Record high is 88 in 2019)

  • Saturday: High 85, Low 67. Mostly sunny with 4% chance of rain.

  • Sunday: High 85, Low 66. Sunny with 6% chance of rain.

James Coleman is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida weather: Near record heat for Honda Classic, spring training