Why South Florida smells smoke and how long it will last. The weekend weather forecast

Howard Cohen
·3 min read
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Feel like you went to bed near a barbecue and were still at the backyard roast Thursday morning in parts of South Florida?

That’s because of the Sandy Fire that started Monday in Big Cypress National Preserve, west of the Blue Loop portion of the Florida Trail, PBS reported. Some of the brush fire’s smoke made its way into the metro areas Wednesday evening and lingered into Thursday’s morning rush hour.

“We have had more of a northwesterly wind component earlier this morning steering some of the smoke towards the metro areas,” CBS News Miami meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez explained in her Thursday morning broadcast.

That familiar smoky aroma wafting over Miami-Dade and Broward will dissipate as the winds shift more out of the east through most of Thursday, carrying the smoke away from us, she said.

“We could have another night or so of that smoke filtering into some of the areas once the winds died down a little bit but we’re not anticipating any high coverage or anything like that — at least at this point,” said Ana Torres-Vazquez of the National Weather Service in Miami.

Weekend weather forecast

Thursday morning opened to a comfy 69 degrees in Miami, 70 in Fort Lauderdale and 73 in Key West, Gonzalez said. The cool spot was Kendall at 62, she said.

Temperatures will climb to the mid- to upper-80s Thursday and Friday with minimal rain chances, just 10%. Rain chance rises by Saturday, “and it won’t be a washout ... spotty showers and a few storms,” Gonzalez said.

Torres-Vazquez at the weather service calls the weekend weather a teaser to the regular early summertime pattern familiar to South Florida. Storms, if they come, would hit primarily after 2 p.m.

Rain chances are 30% Saturday and Sunday, 20% Monday and Tuesday and 30% Wednesday.

Expect temperatures between 88 and 86 as highs and lows between 72 and 75 Thursday through Tuesday, Gonzalez said.

The generally drier air into the weekend means enhanced fire weather conditions, primarily over South Florida’s interior Thursday, the weather service warns.

Central Florida, like Orlando, will also see dry weather heading into the weekend and the weather services noted fire weather conditions for that part of the state, too. Best rain chance in Orlando is Saturday at 40%. Sunday calls for a 30% chance.

Fire reaction

The National Park Service posted a Sandy Fire alert Thursday to note temporary closures as crews battle the wildfire. The Big Cypress National Preserve closures include all trails and roadways west of 11 Mile Road, north of US41, east of Monument Trail, and south of Mud Lake, Little Deer, Oasis Trail and Lost Dog.

The Sandy Fire was burning about 690 acres of pines out in the preserve Thursday, said Torres-Vazquez.

The weather service posted safety tips given the dry air and low humidity in South Florida, especially across the western half.

▪ Properly discard cigarettes. (Still smoking? Is that still a thing?)

▪ Keep vehicles off dry grass

▪ Avoid activities with open flames or sparks

▪ Avoid power equipment that creates sparks

▪ Obey burn bans and evacuation orders.