Central Florida, get ready for a blast of wintry weather

Central Florida, get ready for a blast of wintry weather

Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel

Tue, January 13, 2026 at 3:24 PM UTC

2 min read

After a spell of warmer than normal temperatures to start 2026, another blast of frigid air is moving into Central Florida this week — and this time, it will be the coldest weather of the winter season so far, according to forecasters.

The low temperatures on Friday morning are expected to drop to 34 degrees in downtown Orlando, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, and the highs will reach only the mid-50s during the day,

But with wind gusts expected to reach up to 25 mph early Friday, the temperatures will feel like the upper 20s, said Megan Tollefsen, a meteorologist with the weather service.

“It’s not unusual, but it will be a little cooler than what we’re used to seeing this time of year,” she said.

On Saturday morning, temperatures will drop again, but not as much. Low temperatures early Saturday are expected to sink to the high 30s. But residents should prepare for frost, Tollefsen said.

“When it gets that cold, we urge people to bring in their pets and check on their neighbors,” she said.

Officials with Central Florida governments and nonprofits were working Tuesday on plans to expand access to shelters and capacity ahead of the cold front.

Plans also were being drawn for regional Lynx buses to provide free transportation to the nearest shelters. Warming centers will also be opening in Orange and Osceola counties, officials said, with more details to be announced later this week.

This round of cold weather will be cooler than the one that ushered in the new year.

On Dec. 31, thermometers in Orlando dipped to 34 degrees. And on New Year’s Day, temperatures dropped to 36 degrees.

The normal temperatures for early January are lows in the upper 40s and highs in the low 70s.

But this week’s cold weather is not expected to set temperature records. The record low temperature for Friday in Orlando is 25 degrees set in 1927. The record low for Saturday is 28 degrees, set in 1959.

Here’s the good news for those who don’t care for the wintry air: It won’t last long. A typical Central Florida winter usually consists of blast of cold air that sticks around for a couple of days, followed by warmer days.

That is expected to be the case this week, as high temperatures on Saturday for the Orlando area were forecast to reach the mid 60s.

But keep an umbrella handy on Wednesday. The cold blast will move in behind a round of showers for most of the region through the afternoon and evening, according to forecasters. Wednesday’s high temperatures are expected to reach 68 degrees.

On Thursday, temperatures are forecast to drop to 53 degrees in the early morning, and reach 60 degrees during the day.

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