A potent fall front will quickly approach the Florida Panhandle Thursday, then sweep across the rest of Florida Friday. A squall line of thunderstorms ahead of it could produce wind damage, or even an isolated tornado.
A Tornado Watch was issued for western sections of the Florida Panhandle until 2 pm Thursday.
The highest risk for the adverse weather is across the Florida Panhandle Thursday, then in portions of north Florida Friday. Wind gusts to 60 mph will be possible from the strongest cells, The front is likely to weaken by the time it reaches central and south Florida Friday night and early Saturday, where strong thunderstorms are not expected at the present time.
Here are the most likely arrival times of the possible severe weather for a few select cities or metro areas on Thursday...
9 to 11 am CT - Pensacola, Destin
11 am to 1 pm CT - Panama City
2 to 5 pm ET - Tallahassee
5 to 8 pm ET - Big Bend to Lake City
Thursday's round of strong storms should weaken as it moves into portions of north Florida after sunset. However, a new round of thunderstorms - some potentially severe - is likely to develop on Friday. Wind damage would be the primary concern from the strongest cells, and the most likely timing is listed below...
9 am to Noon - Lake City to Cedar Key
Noon to 3pm - Gainesville and Ocala
3 pm to 6 pm - Jacksonville, St Augustine, The Villages and Crystal River
6 pm to 9 pm - Daytona to Orlando to Tampa
The front responsible for the stormy weather will weaken and move into central and south Florida overnight Friday into early Saturday, with only a trailing line or two of showers expected in those areas. Much cooler, drier and more stable air will sweep across the entire state on Saturday and Sunday.
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