A new winter storm will bring rain and some of the coldest temperatures of the season to the southeastern United States, including much of Florida.
AccuWeather says that the same weather pattern driving high winds and spreading wildfires in California will trigger the storm in the eastern U.S. early next week.
“How quickly the storm strengthens will help to determine its track,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. “And consequently, where it tracks will determine where the band of accumulating snow versus rain sets up.”
A new winter storm threatens to bring snow to the eastern United States and heavy rain to the south east.
A similar swathe of the country that received several inches of snow during Winter Storm Cora is likely to get more. Most of the southeastern states, from North Carolina to Louisiana, will see rain rather than the wintry mix of snow and ice elsewhere.
These early predictions aren’t set in stone, however. The storm’s path will ultimately depend on its strength.
Will the winter storm bring snow to Florida?
Florida is the only state in the country that has yet to receive snow, according to The Weather Channel. The latest winter storm isn’t expected to change that fact, however.
Rain is expected to hit the Florida Panhandle starting on Friday and lasting through Sunday, but it doesn’t line up with the frigid temperatures that will push into the area on Monday.
The southeast can expect to see thunder and lightning with rain heavy enough to cause localized urban flooding, says AccuWeather.
How cold will Florida get during the winter storm?
Florida’s colder temperatures won’t coincide one-to-one with the storm because it will take some time for the polar air to reach this far south. The storm is currently expected to pass from Saturday through Monday. Temperatures in Florida will begin to drop Sunday night.
The Florida Panhandle is expected to see the coldest temperatures, according to AccuWeather. Monday’s high will be 44 degrees, and the low is expected to be 22, which is more than 35 degrees from a daily average of 57.9. Those colder temperatures will persist through at least Wednesday.
North Florida will see slightly milder temperatures. Tallahassee will see a high of 47 degrees and a low of 25, while Jacksonville will see a high of 47 degrees and a low of 34 degrees on Monday.
Central Florida temperatures will see temperatures in the mid-50s, and South Florida will see temperatures in the mid-60s starting on Tuesday.
What we know about the winter storm path
It’s still a bit too early to definitively say which path the winter storm will take, but it will become more clear as it develops.
“A weaker storm is more likely to take a more southern track and will have less cold air to work with. In that case, a minimal amount of snow is likely, but some snow could reach more into the interior Southeast as a result,” Rayno explained.
“A stronger storm is more likely to track farther to the north, pull more moisture into the cold air and result in significant snow somewhere from the Midwest to the interior Northeast.”
Should the storm end up weaker than anticipated and track south, portions of the southern Appalachians, the Carolinas and the Virginia Piedmont areas could see spotty light snow or flurries.
Here’s a look at the 7-day forecast for the Pensacola area, according to the National Weather Service.
Tuesday
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Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. North wind around 10 mph.
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Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday
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Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
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Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday
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Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
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Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.
Friday
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Day: A 20% chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
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Night: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday
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Day: Showers. High near 67. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
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Night: A 50% chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Sunday
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Day: A 30% chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59.
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Night: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Monday
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Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 46.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Will new winter storm impact Florida? Yep, here’s how