Current Weather Outlook
Statewide weather outlook from Florida Division of Emergency Management Meteorology
Saturday, December 20, 2025
...A Cool Morning Across North Florida Gives Way to Another Sunny and Mostly Dry Day Statewide... A Few Coastal Showers Possible for Southeast Florida this Afternoon... Sensitive to Elevated Wildfire Risk Across North Florida with Low Humidities...Seasonably Warm Highs this Afternoon... Another Cool Night Across North Florida Tonight... Patchy Dense Fog Development Statewide Overnight...Moderate to High Risk for Rip Currents for All Florida Beaches...
Updated at 08:43 AM EST
Today's Threats:
|
No Threat |
Low Threat |
Medium Threat |
High Threat |
|
Lightning |
Tornado |
Damaging Wind/Hail |
Wildfire |
Freeze (Overnight) |
Fog (Overnight) |
Coastal Flooding |
Rip Currents |
|
Locally North & West-Central FL |
Locally Suwannee Valley, Big Bend & South FL Statewide |
Panhandle & West Coast East Coast |
Weather Summary for the Next 24 Hours:
A cool morning across North Florida, with instances of patchy frost or freeze, will give way to a mostly sunny and pleasant day across the Sunshine State as high pressure slides across the region. Chances of rain will remain near zero for most everywhere, the exception being across coastal Southeast Florida where some lingering low-level moisture along a dissipating front may promote a few coastal showers this afternoon (15-20% chance of rain). Relative humidities will dip below critical thresholds (25-30% RH values) across North Florida this afternoon which may encourage locally sensitive to elevated wildfire conditions, especially in any areas experiencing the most severe long-term drought. Winds will remain light today, though a few breezy gusts upwards of 20 mph cannot be ruled out along coastal Southeast Florida this afternoon.
High temperatures will be seasonably warm across the state today, reaching the middle to upper 60s for North Florida and middle 70s to lower 80s in Central and South Florida.
Another cool night is expected across the Big Bend and Suwannee River Valley tonight where lows will dip into the upper 30s to lower 40s. Elsewhere across North Florida, middle 40s to lower 50s can be expected. Lows will dip into the middle 50s to upper 60s in Central Florida and middle 60s to lower 70s in South Florida. Throughout much of the state tonight, clear skies and calm winds with some lingering low-level moisture will promote low cloud and patchy fog development. Instances of patchy dense fog may develop across portions of the Big Bend, Suwanee River Valley, and interior South Florida. Dense Fog Advisories may be issued as conditions warrant.
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30.
For the latest on the tropics, please visit the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at www.hurricanes.gov.
Rip Currents: A moderate to high risk for rip currents can be expected for most Panhandle beaches today with lingering breezy coastal winds and onshore flow. A moderate risk for rip currents is expected for all East Coast beaches today, while a local moderate to high risk is outlooked for the West Coast. For the latest Rip Current Outlook, visit www.weather.gov/beach.
Marine Hazards: Wave heights along the East Coast will diminish back down to the 2-4’ range today, with Southeast Florida beaches seeing surf of 1-2’. Similar 1-2’ wave heights can be expected for all Panhandle and West Coast beaches today.
Red Tide was observed at background to medium concentrations in Bay County, very low to low concentrations in Gulf County, and background to very low concentrations in Franklin County. Across Southwest Florida, it was also observed at background concentrations offshore Hillsborough, Manatee, and Monroe counties. Red Tide was not observed along the Florida East Coast (valid 12/19).
Coastal Flooding: There is no risk for coastal flooding across Florida.
Fire Weather: Dry conditions will persist across the state today as temperatures warm to seasonable to slightly above normal levels. Relative humidities will dip below critical thresholds (25-30% RH values) across North Florida where locally sensitive to elevated wildfire conditions may develop, especially in any areas experiencing the most severe long-term drought. Winds will remain light today, though a few breezy gusts upwards of 20 mph are possible across coastal Southeast Florida. According to the Florida Forest Service, there are 12 active wildfires across the state burning approximately 136 acres.
Drought (12/18): Plentiful rainfall of 3-6 inches has fallen over much of the Panhandle over the past two weeks which has allowed for some modest relief in the long-term drought conditions, outlined in this week’s latest Drought Monitor outlook. West of SR 231, any severe drought from last week’s outlook has been reduced to a Moderate Drought (level 1 of 4) where the heaviest rainfall has fallen. A Severe Drought (level 2 of 4) is still in place across the Big Bend region, though has been reduced back to a Moderate Drought (level 1 of 4) over the I-10 corridor across Northeast Florida and the Suwannee Valley. Extreme Drought (level 3 of 4) remains in place across northern Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, and Jefferson counties where 2-4 inch rainfall totals have fallen in the past two weeks, with parts of Jackson, Calhoun, and Madison counties reduced to a Severe Drought (level 2 of 4). However, 60-90 day rainfall departures remain below normal (3-5 inches below normal) over all North Florida which has kept at least some drought category in place despite the recent rainfall. On the contrary, rainfall has been harder to come by across West-Central Florida near the Tampa Bay metro where a Severe Drought (level 2 of 4) has been slightly expanded to include more of Hardee and DeSoto counties. Here, 3-month rainfall departures have begun to near 7 inches in some localized areas. A Moderate Drought (level 1 of 4) remains in place across nearly all South Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, with abnormally dry (emerging drought) conditions in place along coastal Southeast Florida. Additional rainfall is expected on Thursday (12/18) across the Panhandle which may lead to additional drought relief, though will be reflected in the next week’s outlook. Dry and warm conditions will return across the state this weekend and early next week, which may bring additional drought deterioration, especially over Central and South Florida.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index average for Florida is 418 (-5) on a scale from 0 (very wet) to 800 (very dry). There are 19 Florida counties that have an average KBDI above 500 (drought/increased fire danger).
Flash Flooding: There is no organized risk for flash flooding today.
Riverine Flooding: There are no riverine concerns across Florida. For more information, visit the River Forecast Center.
Lake Okeechobee’s average elevation is 13.53 feet, which is within the operational band and is 1.17 feet below normal for this time of year.
