Current Weather Outlook
Statewide weather outlook from Florida Division of Emergency Management Meteorology
Friday, January 30, 2026
...Our Next Frontal System to Begin Moving Through the State Today... Isolated to Widely Scattered Showers Expected Across North Florida this Morning and Afternoon... A Few Showers Across the Keys and Southeast Florida as Well... Highs Remain Seasonable for this Time of Year... Cold Front Sweeps Through Central Florida Tonight with Isolated Showers... Breezy Winds Develop Behind the Front Across the Panhandle Paired with Plummeting Temperatures... Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories in Effect for the Panhandle and Big Bend Tonight... Moderate Risk for Rip Currents for Panhandle and East Coast Beaches; High Risk Along Palm Beach County...
Updated at 8:37 AM EST
Today's Threats:
|
No Threat |
Low Threat |
Medium Threat |
High Threat |
|
Lightning |
Tornado |
Damaging Wind/Hail |
Wildfire |
Fog (Overnight) |
Freeze (Overnight) |
Wind Chills (Overnight) |
Rip Currents |
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Locally Statewide |
Western Panhandle Eastern Panhandle & Big Bend
|
Western Panhandle Eastern Panhandle & Big Bend |
Palm Beach County East Coast & Panhandle West Coast & Northeast FL |
Weather Summary for the Next 24 Hours:
Another chilly start to the day today after clear skies overnight allowed temperatures to dip into the 20s and 30s across North and Northeast Florida. These temperatures will begin to slowly warm up this morning as a low-pressure system tracks across the northern Gulf today. An attendant cold front draped south of this front will encourage a few isolated to widely scattered showers currently over the Gulf waters to move onshore across the eastern Panhandle and Big Bend later this morning (20-30% chance of rain). Any of this activity is expected to be light and brief in nature. The warm southerly flow ahead of this front will also allow some isolated to widely scattered showers to stream onshore over the Florida Keys and Southeast Florida later this morning and into the early afternoon hours (25-40% chance of rain). Otherwise, a mostly sunny and dry day is expected across the state. Winds will remain generally light today, though ongoing drought will still encourage sensitive to locally elevated wildfire conditions.
High temperatures this afternoon will be closer to seasonal levels amidst the warmer southerly flow. Upper 50s to middle 60s can be expected in North Florida and lower 70s in Central and South Florida.
The cold front will continue to sweep across the state tonight with a few isolated showers possible across Northeast and Central Florida (15-30% chance of rain). In the wake of the frontal passage, lows will quickly drop into the middle 20s to lower 30s across the Panhandle. Lows in the middle to upper 30s are also expected across the Big Bend and interior Northeast Florida. Breezy winds will develop after midnight across the Panhandle, with gusts upwards of 30 mph by daybreak Saturday. These winds will bring wind chills into the middle teens to lower 20s across the western Panhandle where an Extreme Cold Warning is in effect. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for portions of the eastern Panhandle and Big Bend tonight. Lows in the upper 40s to upper 50s are expected through Central and South Florida.
Rip Currents: Breezy onshore winds will continue to create a moderate risk for rip currents for numerous Panhandle and East Coast beaches. A localized high risk is expected for Palm Beach County beaches where the strongest onshore winds and elevated surf remains. A low risk is expected for West Coast and Northeast beaches. For the latest Rip Current Outlook, visit www.weather.gov/beach.
Marine Hazards: Surf will diminish today with waves of 1-2’ expected for most Florida beaches. Some higher surf of 2-3’ is possible across coastal Southeast Florida and the Keys this afternoon. By late tonight, a building ocean swell across the Gulf will build surf to 2-3’ for Panhandle beaches.
Red Tide was observed at background concentrations in Bay and Franklin counties and very low concentrations in Walton and Gulf County. It was not observed along the East Coast or in Southwest Florida (valid 1/23/2026).
Coastal Flooding: There is no risk for coastal flooding across Florida.
Fire Weather: Mostly dry conditions are expected for much of the state today ahead of our next frontal system. A few showers are possible across the Panhandle and Big Bend with the frontal passage, as well as coastal Southeast Florida with onshore moving coastal showers. Given moist southerly flow ahead of our next cold front, relative humidities will remain above critical thresholds statewide today. Generally light winds will also limit the overall wildfire threat. However, ongoing drought will still lead to sensitive to locally elevated wildfire conditions. Breezy winds will develop after midnight across the Panhandle, where gusts upwards of 30 mph are possible. Cooler than normal temperatures can be expected to continue, especially during the overnight period across the Panhandle, where near-freezing conditions will develop through Saturday morning. These cooler temperatures will temper the wildfire risk. According to the Florida Forest Service, there are 49 active wildfires across the state burning approximately 1270 acres.
Drought (1/29/26): We saw the greatest rainfall over the past week mainly across the Panhandle and north of the I-10 corridor with our frontal passage last weekend (1/25). Here rainfall totals of 0.5-2” fell, yet the ongoing long-term drought was hardly impacted. On the latest Drought Monitor outlook, severe drought (level 2 of 4) persists across much of North Florida and the I-10 corridor, expanding eastward to include the entire First Coast. Long-term (60 day) rainfall departures across the Nature Coast and North-Central Florida have neared 3-4” below normal, which has prompted the addition of an extreme drought (level 3 of 4) category. The extreme drought also remains untouched across the northern Big Bend region where, despite some rainfall, soil moisture levels and streamflows are well below normal. Across Central and South Florida, very little changes were made to this week’s outlook. Some slight expansion of the severe drought (level 2 of 4) was added across coastal Palm Beach and Martin counties where rainfall departures continue to dip below normal. Some slight improvement in drought conditions were found along the immediate Southeast Florida coastline with recent coastal shower activity. As of this outlook, 94% of the state is under a moderate drought (level 1 of 4) or worse.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index average for Florida is 476 (+1) on a scale from 0 (very wet) to 800 (very dry). There are 32 Florida counties that have an average KBDI above 500 (drought/increased fire danger).
Flash Flooding: There is no organized risk for flash flooding today. A few scattered showers will begin to move onshore the Panhandle and Big Bend this morning which may bring some light rainfall. However, rainfall totals will generally remain below 0.1-0.2”, at most. A few light showers will also stream across coastal Southeast Florida this morning and early afternoon, with activity expected to remain light.
Riverine Flooding: There are no riverine concerns across Florida. For more information, visit the River Forecast Center.
Lake Okeechobee’s average elevation is 12.83 feet, which is within the operational band and is 1.84 feet below normal for this time of year.
