National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Above: a graphicast issued around 8am January 2, 2012 depicting the positions of the cold fronts on Monday evening.

A series of several strong cold fronts will surge south through the area in the first week of the new year. High temperatures on Monday, January 2nd, are likely to be about 15 to 20 degrees colder than what was observed on New Years Day in the wake of Sunday's first cold front. Breezy northwest winds will set up across most of the area, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. The secondary cold front, and the shallow arctic air mass, will arrive Monday evening.

Monday Night

Left: forecast low temperatures on Monday Night. Right: forecast minimum wind chills on Monday Night.

Here are a few details about the forecast for Monday Night:

• Low temperatures will be in the mid 20s at most spots.
• Lows at the immediate Gulf of Mexico shoreline will be around 30-32 degrees.
• Wind chills will fall as low as the upper teens.
• Freezing conditions could last 6-9 hours in southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia, and 5-7 hours in the Florida Panhandle, away from the coast.

Tuesday

The cold air mass will linger on Tuesday. High temperatures may struggle to reach the low-to-mid 40s. Combined with breezy northwest winds, the wind chill during the warmest part of Tuesday afternoon will be in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees. As high pressure settles into the region late Tuesday, winds will decrease and temperatures will drop quickly as the sun sets.

Tuesday Night

Left: forecast low temperatures on Tuesday Night. Right: forecast minimum wind chills on Tuesday Night.

Here are a few details about the forecast for Tuesday Night:

• Low temperatures will be in the upper teens to low 20s at most spots.
• Inland urbanized centers (like downtown Tallahassee) will see low temperatures in the middle and upper 20s.
• Lows at the immediate Gulf of Mexico shoreline will be around 28-30 degrees.
• Winds will be light or calm, so wind chills should not be a major factor.
• Freezing conditions could last 10-12 hours in some locations. A hard freeze is likely away from the immediate coast and other urbanized centers.

Other Information

• Wind Chill Reference Chart and Calculator [NWS]
• NWS Tallahassee Area Forecast Discussion [technical]
• NWS Tallahassee Hazardous Weather Outlook