Orlando weather: Rain moves into Central Florida this weekend

Orlando Weather Forecast: Feb. 16, 2024

It was a beautiful end to the week, but the FOX 35 Storm Team is declaring Saturday and Sunday as Weather Impact Days. The heaviest, consistent rain will arrive on Sunday.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Most remain dry through this evening, aside from a few light showers possible in North Central Florida. As we enter the night, light showers will develop across the rest of our area. This rain will continue into Saturday and set the tone for our wet weekend.

The forecast for this weekend still remains cool and wet, with rising rain chances on Saturday and widespread rain into Sunday – not exactly ideal for outdoor plans or the Daytona 500 race Sunday afternoon.

The weekend won't be a complete and constant washout, but once the rain moves in, it'll stick around for a while. An area of low pressure will move in from the Gulf of Mexico, bringing with it plenty of moisture, meaning plenty of rain.

Showers could begin to form as early as late morning Saturday, from roughly 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. These showers will be relatively light but will grow more widespread as the day progresses. This is especially true for Saturday night, well after sunset.

This is when moderate to heavy rain will begin to form and move into the region. This steady rain will stick around all the way through early Sunday, even dumping pockets of heavy rain at times.

For the Daytona 500 race itself, plan for rain. Rain will last through most of Sunday, tapering off to lighter rain through the evening. There is a decent chance the race could be postponed to Sunday, which thankfully has a more promising forecast for Central Florida as the system pulls away.

Not only will the wet weather be a factor for this weekend, though. Cold temperatures and gusty winds will only make things feel even worse. For Saturday, highs will reach the low and mid-60s at best. For Sunday, afternoon temperatures won't even make it out of the 50s! Brrr! Winds will be picking up, too, with gusts as high as 30 MPH. Bottom line, dress in layers and have ways to stay warm and dry!

LOOKING AHEAD: Only a few very isolated and light showers will linger into early Monday morning. Otherwise, increasing sunshine and cool temperatures can be expected for the majority of next week. Monday will see highs in the 60s, with the 70s on the way by midweek.