A potent cold front moving through Florida late Tuesday night is expected to bring some of the coldest conditions of the season to the Treasure Coast, with overnight temperatures falling into the 30s and 40s and wind chills dipping lower, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The front is forecast to clear the region before sunrise Tuesday, ushering in colder and drier air on gusty northwest winds, the weather service said. While only a slight chance of a light shower or sprinkle is expected near the coast, measurable rainfall is unlikely.
Temperatures are expected to drop rapidly after midnight Tuesday night. By early Wednesday morning, Treasure Coast communities are forecast to see low temperatures generally in the mid- to upper 30s inland and lower 40s closer to the coast, with wind chill values ranging from the low 30s to the mid-40s, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecast low temperatures Wednesday morning include 35 degrees in Fellsmere and Blue Cypress Lake, 37 degrees in Port St. Lucie and Lakewood Park, 38 degrees in White City and Indiantown, 39 degrees in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, and lows in the low to mid-40s for coastal areas such as Jensen Beach, Stuart and Hobe Sound. Wind chills in some inland locations could briefly drop into the upper 20s to low 30s.
The National Weather Service said skies are expected to clear Tuesday night, allowing for an efficient cooldown into early Wednesday. Wind chills across east-central Florida are forecast to sink into the mid-20s to mid-30s, with Wednesday morning expected to be the coldest of the next seven days.
In Indian River County, the National Weather Service forecasts wind chill temperatures of 34 degrees or lower east of Interstate 95 for approximately four to six hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and wind chills of 36 degrees or lower Wednesday night into Thursday morning for eight to 12 hours.
Based on that forecast, county officials said a Cold Weather Shelter is expected to be activated, with additional details to be announced.
Daytime temperatures on Tuesday are expected to remain cool, with highs across the southern half of east-central Florida, including the Treasure Coast, reaching only the low to mid-60s, the weather service said.
While a gradual warming trend is forecast later in the week, overnight temperatures will remain chilly, with patchy frost not ruled out in some interior areas.