Brian LaMarre

The reflectivity signal on Cape Canaveral at the time of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket test explosion captured by the NWS Melbourne Florida weather radar.

Note the fire generated smoke plume over eastern Hardee and Desoto counties southwest of Sebring, Florida.

NWS weather radar shows the two sea-breeze boundaries merging into a narrow line that zips south to north before storms push back west toward and off the Gulf coast, bringing frequent lightning and torrential downpours.

A classic Florida “zipper effect” is taking shape this Wednesday evening, as the west coast sea breeze collides with the east coast sea breeze within a prevailing southeast flow.

Photogenic thunderstorm over Pinellas County Florida looking west across Tampa Bay this Sunday afternoon, May 17, 2026.

Photogenic thunderstorm over Pinellas County Florida looking west across Tampa Bay this Sunday afternoon, May 17, 2026.

That was the band of showers and thunderstorms that produced the heaviest totals, too.

Dual‑pol radar this aftn showed a “storm‑like” echo near the Polk/Highlands line east of Avon Park - actually smoke/ash from a USAF prescribed burn over the Kicco WMA, not rain. Dual‑pol helps separate real precip from smoke. FL’s extreme drought continues, with a warmer, mostly dry week ahead.

Incredible weather on this Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Florida.

A wave of low pressure continues to intensify Tuesday night well east of Florida along a weak cold front that pushed through the state over the last 12 to 24 hours.

Similarly, the final daylight images from the visible satellite channel over Florida shows different cloud layers: low-level stratocumulus, mid-level altocumulus, and high-level cirrus.

A weak cold front slid through most of Florida Monday night into Tuesday, bringing a cooler, drier airmass and some much-needed rain across the area. In tonight’s images, I’m highlighting the latest radar loop showing some light sprinkles across the area.

This is welcomed news, considering much of the state remains in severe to extreme #drought and any rainfall will help recharge (or perhaps moisten) soils. 🌧️ The #weather maps from Sat through Tue morning highlight this evolving pattern and stay tuned for updates as we track the system’s progress.

Rain chances are on the rise across Florida as we head through Easter Weekend! A cold front approaching late Sunday will bring scattered showers and storms, followed by a period of a more widespread rainfall late Monday into Tuesday, as the front meanders across central and south Florida.

As a meteorologist, I got chills hearing this historic “Launch Weather is Go!” statement from fellow colleagues with NASA Artemis | U.S. Space Force Launch Weather Officer at the 45th Weather Squadron before liftoff this evening, Wednesday April 1, 2026. 📡🚀

Awesome view of @NASAArtemis II, as viewed from NOAA weather satellite. Note the dark (warmer) dot launching off from Cape Canaveral and off to the northeast! #flwx #artemis

View to the northeast of the rocket plume after the launch of NASA Artemis II mission from Riverview, FL, 130 miles away from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

As the NASA Artemis II is about to launch four astronauts into space to conduct a flyby around the Moon, we are hearing a lot about the famous “Launchpad 39B”. But where is it? Checkout this quick Google Earth clip I made highlighting Launchpad 39B, as well as a few other neighboring pads. 📡🚀

The most popular weather radar and satellite imagery today before the first launch opportunity of NASA Artemis II coming up in about L-4 hours. 📡🚀

The most popular weather radar and satellite imagery today before the first launch opportunity of NASA Artemis II coming up in about L-4 hours. 📡🚀

The most popular weather radar and satellite imagery today before the first launch opportunity of NASA Artemis II coming up in about L-4 hours. 📡🚀

Visible satellite imagery early this Monday afternoon shows a pronounced gradient of stratocumulus clouds from northeast Ohio into southwest Pennsylvania, aligned with a strengthening southwest flow.

Weather Map through Tuesday. The next cold front will be sinking south across the United States with strong storms over the Great Lakes. No major changes in the weather pattern for Florida with above normal temperatures and only isolated showers and thunderstorms.

By Sunday, we’ll just notice a “cool down” to near-normal highs around 80° and a brief period of breezy northeast to east winds late Saturday into early Sunday morning. No need to reach for the jacket! Just enjoy the slightly cooler air and that gusty easterly breeze.

At the mid-levels (around 18,000 feet), temps are cold with readings near -13°C which creates enough instability to spark thunderstorms, especially where moisture and lift overlap. This setup is playing out over parts of Hillsborough County (well east of Tampa) and Polk County this evening.

Right now, precipitable water (PWAT) values are around 1.5 inches, signaling plenty of moisture in the atmosphere, but that moisture is being funneled southwestward behind the front instead of northward like in more typical patterns.

A “Back Door” Cold Front is Moving Through Florida Tonight. A less typical setup is unfolding across Florida this evening, that is, a back door cold front is pushing southwest across the state from the north and northeast, rather than the usual direction from the north and northwest.

Even as model guidance from the Ai-GFS shows the ridge weakening slightly next week, the pattern remains warm enough to keep many areas above normal.

Even as model guidance from the NAM shows the ridge weakening slightly next week, the pattern remains warm enough to keep many areas above normal.

Notable extremes include Phoenix’s earliest 100-degree day, Salt Lake City’s earliest 80-degree day, Denver’s March record, and San Francisco’s hottest March temperature ever.