Florida to see cool damp week ahead. Will it rain on New Year's Eve? (2024)

Well, Florida didn't get a white Christmas, although it did get a soggy one. But areas across the north-central U.S. and portions of the Plains are getting blanketed by snow, freezing winds and strong winds and that could mean travel problems this week.

"A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain, with significant ice accumulations is likely farther east," said the National Weather Service's senior branch forecaster Frank Pereira. "Widespread ice accumulations of 0.10 to 0.25 inch, with locally heavier amounts, can be expected across northeastern South Dakota and eastern North Dakota into far northwestern Minnesota. Power outages and tree damage are likely in areas that receive significant icing.

"By Tuesday night, the storm will gradually weaken, however a wintry mix is likely to persist into Wednesday across portions of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest."

East of the Mississippi things are still unseasonably warm and are expected to continue to be so till midweek, Pereira said, but rain storm are expected north from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, with thunderstorms possible across the Southeast and the southern Mid Atlantic and Appalachians.

Here in the Sunshine State, we can expect warmer weather for a few more days when temperatures are expected to start dropping again until New Year's Eve sees lows in the 50s and highs in the 60s on New Year's Day. According to the NWS, the week ahead should look like:

• Panhandle: Cloudy days and nights and a chilly week, ending in overnight lows in the 30s Friday through the weekend and highs in the 50s through New Year's Day.
• North Florida: Chance of showers in the Tallahassee area continuing Monday night, then a few mostly cloudy days until the skies clear by Thursday. Overnight lows in the 30s by Thursday night, highs in the 50s all weekend and Monday. Jacksonville may see showers into Tuesday and possibly again Thursday, with warmer temperatures in the low 60s or high 50s over the weekend.
• Central Florida: There are low chances of showers into Tuesday and again Wednesday night into Thursday, with temps dropping to the high 50s by Friday and an overnight low in the 40s Saturday night, then rising back to the low 60s by New Year's Eve.
• Southwest Florida: Same as central Florida but with a greater chance of showers Monday and Wednesday nights. Overnight temps this weekend in the high 40s, highs in the mid-60s.
• Southeast Florida: More storms are likely, with a 60% chance Monday evening, 30% Tuesday, and then a partly Wednesday until a 40% chance of showers Wednesday night and a 30% chance Thursday. Temps will be generally warmer, though, with overnight lows in the mid-40s by Saturday night and highs in the 60s.
• South Florida: The bottom of the state will see the same chances for rain as the Southeast, but with temps in the high 60s and overnight lows in the mid-to-low 60s. By New Year's Day, temps will be back up to the low 70s.

Travelers will want to keep an eye on the weather because there will be a lot of people on the roads and in the airports.

What to know about the ‘Cold Moon:’Christmas will be extra bright this year

AAA predicts second-highest holiday travel forecast since they started tracking

According to AAA, 115.2 million travelers will be heading 50 miles or more from home over the 10-day holiday period covering Christmas and New Year's, a 2.2% increase over last year and the second-highest year-end travel forecast since the organization began tracking holiday travel 23 years ago. Nearly 104 million of them will be on the road, AAA said.

Florida may break its own record from last year, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. An estimated 6.6 million Floridians are expected to travel for the holidays, a 3.4% increase over last year's 6.4 million.

Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA, said. “AAA has seen steady year-over-year growth in travel demand, culminating with what is expected to be the busiest year-end holiday travel season on record in Florida, and the second-busiest nationwide,” Haas said.

AAA predicts that airports will be the busiest they have ever been over the holidays, with 7.5 million air travelers.

Are any flights delayed or canceled?

According to FlightAware's live flight delay and cancellation dashboard, as of Monday at 5:00 p.m. there were 11,626 total delays in the U.S. and 597 cancellations.

Will it rain on New Year's Eve in Florida?

Unlikely. Showers are expected into Monday night with increasing chances of rain on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday and Thursday the farther south you go, but current forecasts call for a dry New Year's Eve.

Will it be hot or cold on New Year's Eve in Florida?

Temperatures are expected to drop across the state throughout the week to their lowest point Sunday, and then begin to start rising again on New Year's Day.

"The forecast pattern will favor multiple days of chilly weather across the South, with temperatures 5-15F below normal," according to NWS forecasters Marty Rausch and Michael Schichtel. "Florida should see the best potential for double-digit anomalies. The Southeast should begin to moderate by Sunday-Monday but with Florida likely staying below normal through that time."

AccuWeather forecasters say weather conditions are expected to be "nearly as good as it can get for outdoor New Year's Eve celebrations across the United States."

What does the Farmers' Almanac predict for Christmas weather in Florida?

According to theFarmer's Almanac's New Year's Eve predictions for Florida and other states in the Southeast Zone, , including Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, "A storm coming up the Atlantic Seaboard may bring precipitation for the end of 2023."

That may be more accurate for the northern of the southern states, however.

The Almanac has predicted a return to cooler weather in its2023-2024 winter forecast, with a greater chance of rain for the southeast.

"The Southeast and Florida will see a wetter-than-normal winter, with average winter temperatures overall, but a few frosts may send many shivers to snowbirds trying to avoid the cold and snow back home," the Farmers' Almanac predicted.

TheOld Farmers' Almanac, a competitor, predicts isolated showers and warm weather up to Dec. 31, and then rainy periods and cold the week after that.

Believe them or not?The Farmers' Almanac predicts normal temps and a wet winter for Florida. How accurate is it?

What did the Farmers' Almanac predict for New Year's Eve weather around the country?

If you'll be traveling for the holidays, here's what you can expect to run into, according to the Farmers' Almanac:

• Northeast & New England:New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. may see "a renewed threat of precipitation begins."
• Great Lakes, Ohio Valley & Midwest:According to the Almanac, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin may see fair skies and increasing clouds.
• North Central:Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana are expected to be mostly fair, and "unsettled."
• South Central:Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico can expect "Fair skies with a possibility of some unsettled weather to blow in for the big night of celebrations."
• Northwest:The forecast for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho is also for fair skies and unsettled weather, especially along the coast.
• Southwest:California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona complete the forecast for, yes, fair skies then "unsettled with showers."