JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You definitely need a jacket as you step out this morning. The thing is, the numbers on the thermometer don’t tell the whole story.
Right now, we’re seeing temperatures in the 40s—40 at Jacksonville International Airport, 44 in St. Augustine, and 43 in Mayport. But with these brisk winds, it actually feels more like we’re in the 30s.
If you’re heading farther inland or up into Georgia, it’s feeling below freezing in some spots. Even across the Jacksonville area, mid-30s wind chills have been widespread.
It’s all thanks to a strong cold front that pushed across the country. While we’ve avoided extreme weather like snow and ice locally, that drop in temperatures is enough to remind us it’s winter, even here in Florida.
Wind gusts keep it colder
Don’t count on those winds letting up early. Along parts of the coast, wind gusts have been reaching close to 30 miles per hour around 6 a.m., and much of the area is seeing gusts in the teens and twenties.
These breezes will stick with us through the coldest part of the day, and I expect them to ease up just a bit by the afternoon—but not enough to let you leave the windbreaker at home. It’s definitely one of those days when the wind makes everything feel even colder.
Dry now, but rain expected
If you’re hoping for a warm-up, temperatures are only going to inch up as the day goes on. Think 30s at 6 a.m., back into the 40s by 10 a.m., and maybe scraping into the 50s by 2 p.m.
The good news? No rain for now. We’re in a bit of a dry streak—Exact Track 4D shows clear skies across the area. But this dry spell isn’t here to stay; I expect rain to make a return, though I’ll keep you posted on exactly when to break out the umbrella.
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