...ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS

POSSIBLE TODAY...

...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA TODAY...

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Today: Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning then chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 %. Heat index readings 100 to 104.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with a 40 % chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening then mostly clear after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 70s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected today. A few storms may become strong to severe and capable of producing strong wind gusts. Periods of heavy rainfall will also be possible mainly across northeast Florida. Steering flow will continue to move storms off to the east-northeast at 10 mph.

High temperatures in the lower to mid 90s will push heat indices to around 105 degrees this afternoon.

Forecast Details: stationary boundary remains just north of the forecast area with a rich tropical airmass in place and precipitation water amounts around 2.5 inches. Light southerly flow at the surface will keep an isolated chance of showers in place, but main threat of any rainfall through the early morning hours will be across The Big Bend area where low level convergence exists and some of this activity may slip into the I-75 corridor toward sunrise. Patchy low clouds and fog will be possible across southeastern Georgia where skies have become mostly clear.

Main forecast challenge over the next several days will be how far south middle/upper level dry airmass will sink southward over the forecast area. General thinking is that precipitation water amounts will drop to around 2 inches across northestern Florida and to around 1.5 inches across southeastern Georgia.

Today will still be the transition day as precipitation water amounts start to decrease from north to south, but enough moisture and lift to produce numerous showers and thunderstorms across northestern Florida and scattered showers and thunderstorms across southeastern Georgia. Maximum temperatures to surge into the lower to middle 90s across southeastern Georgia with heat indices around 105 degrees once again. Steering flow for shower/thunderstorm activity will remain out of the west/southwest across northeast Florida with slow enough storm motion for locally heavy rainfall to be the main threat, although the increase in middle/upper level drier air and increase in middle level lapse rates will allow for scattered strong thunderstorms with gusty winds possible across all areas.

Today's Pollen Levels: 4.4 Low Medium  (on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Ragweed, Grass and Chenopods.

DId You Know That … Hurricane Andrew came ashore on this date in 1992 with the third lowest pressure ever recorded (922 mb) for a lanfalling hurricane. The storm was first all-time causing $35 billion in damage (some estimates range upwards to $40 billion). Andrew made landfall near Homestead AFB and completely wiped the base off the face of the Earth.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/