TREASURE COAST — Record-breaking cold settled over the Treasure Coast on Nov. 11, bringing the area its coldest November daytime highs in decades before a gradual warmup expected later this week.
According to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Vero Beach reached a high of just 61 degrees Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 66 set in 1943. In Fort Pierce, the high temperature was 62, surpassing the previous record of 65 set in 1913. The unseasonably cold air mass kept temperatures about 20 degrees below normal across east central Florida.
The National Weather Service said the chill continued into Wednesday morning, with clear skies and light winds leading to patchy frost north of the Treasure Coast. A Frost Advisory was in effect for Lake and Volusia counties through 8 a.m.
Highs for Nov. 12 are forecast to reach 72 degrees in Vero Beach, 73 in Port St. Lucie, and similar levels farther south, as the region begins a slow return to more seasonable conditions.
Overnight lows early Wednesday ranged from the mid-30s to mid-40s across much of central Florida, with coastal communities along the Treasure Coast staying slightly warmer in the low 50s.
The weather service said dry conditions will persist through the rest of the week, with surface high pressure over the Florida peninsula keeping rain chances near zero. A gradual warming trend is expected through the weekend and into early next week, with highs climbing into the mid-70s to low 80s and lows rising into the 50s and low 60s.