Wednesday, June 19, 2013  

The overall weather pattern has not changed much since yesterday, and we will keep the forecast hot and humid, with a good chance for late day showers and thunderstorms each afternoon through this weekend and into next week.  There is a weakening front strung out over the southeastern states with plenty of moisture pooling along and south of the boundary, in addition high pressure resides just to our south.  The combination of these two features will keep a steady southwest wind in place at the surface and aloft.  This will allow showers and storms to track a a good pace from west to east across the peninsula this evening, focusing on the coastal counties later tonight and then pushing offshore after midnight.  Conditions will slowly clear overnight under partly cloudy to mostly clear skies.  Lows will only all into the lower to middle 70s over the interior and the middle to upper 70s along the coast.  High humidity levels overnight, will once again promote some low clouds and misty fog closer to sunrise. 

Winds turn to the south on Thursday, allowing for a return of deep tropical moisture, resulting in earlier onset of afternoon thunderstorms, focusing over the spine of Central Florida where the east and west coast sea breezes collide.  Highs will once again climb into the lower to middle 90s, with heat index reading well over 100 degrees for most of the afternoon.  Coverage and intensity of storms is expected to be higher on Thursday than what we saw today and on Tuesday.  Summer officially begins at 1:04 am EDT on Friday, and we can expect more summer-like conditions with highs in the lower to middle 80s and good coverage of late day showers and thunderstorms.  Very little variation in the overall weather pattern is expected through the weekend, so make your outdoor plans early in the day, drink plenty of water and re-apply sunscreen frequently Saturday and Sunday. 

Our slowly developing tropical cyclone in the extreme Southwest Bay of Campeche will have little time to develop as it is expected to push westward into mainland Mexico in the next 24-hours, with no impact on our weather pattern.  No other tropical development is expected through the end of this week.