We’re sweating again in South Florida. How hot will it get and will records be broken?

Howard Cohen

South Florida’s hot streak has some meteorologists joking on social media that their forecasts seem more fitting for May than for February.

Barry Baxter, an observations leader with the National Weather Service in Miami, confirms that the week’s steamy-80s and the forecast through the weekend are above average for this time of year.

The average high temperature in Miami for this time of year is 79. The average high in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach counties is 77.

“Right now we are about 3 to 5 degrees above normal,” Baxter said.

Breaking records?

Josie Ferrer, 36, and David Alvarez, 37, jog down the William M. Powell Bridge on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Temperatures are soaring to the mid- to upper-80s on Wednesday and the rest of the week.
Josie Ferrer, 36, and David Alvarez, 37, jog down the William M. Powell Bridge on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Temperatures are soaring to the mid- to upper-80s on Wednesday and the rest of the week.

The coming days, through Sunday, will keep South Florida well above average. But don’t look for record heat. The conditions aren’t quite right in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Key West, however, could see some new highs by the weekend.

As for South Florida’s mainland, “the winds are going to be east-southeasterly,” Baxter said. “We’re going to have the influence of the East Coast sea breeze kicking in. The Atlantic breeze off the Atlantic waters will keep us a little cooler.”

Lows for the days ahead will be in the low-70s.

Miami forecast and records

Alexandra Rincon, 33, helps Damarys Mendez, 36, apply sunscreen at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.
Alexandra Rincon, 33, helps Damarys Mendez, 36, apply sunscreen at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.

Here’s the high temperature forecast and the corresponding high for that day in Miami, according to the National Weather Service.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 22. Forecast high 85 degrees. Record high was 87 on Feb. 22, 1987.

▪ Thursday, Feb. 23. Forecast high is 84 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 23, 2008.

▪ Friday, Feb. 24. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 24, 2008.

▪ Saturday, Feb. 25. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 25, 2008.

▪ Sunday, Feb. 26. Forecast high is 85 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 26, 1994.

Fort Lauderdale forecast and records

Here’s the high temperature forecast and the corresponding high for that day in Fort Lauderdale, according to the weather service.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 22. Forecast high 82 degrees. Record high was 87 on Feb. 22, 2011.

▪ Thursday, Feb. 23. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 23, 2008.

▪ Friday, Feb. 24. Forecast high is 82 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 24, 2008.

▪ Saturday, Feb. 25. Forecast high is 82 degrees. Record high was 87 on Feb. 25, 2014.

▪ Sunday, Feb. 26. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 26, 1926.

Key West forecast and records

Here’s the high temperature forecast and the corresponding high for that day in Key West, according to the National Weather Service.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 22. Forecast high 85 degrees. Record high was 85 on Feb. 22, 2019.

▪ Thursday, Feb. 23. Forecast high is 85 degrees. Record high was 85 on Feb. 23, 2019.

▪ Friday, Feb. 24. Forecast high is 85 degrees. Record high was 84 on Feb. 24, 2021.

▪ Saturday, Feb. 25. Forecast high is 86 degrees. Record high was 87 on Feb. 25, 1874.

▪ Sunday, Feb. 26. Forecast high is 85 degrees. Record high was 85 on Feb. 26, 1991.

On Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 20-21, Marathon tied its high temperature record of 86 degrees set on those dates in 2019. Marathon is looking to repeat 86 degrees Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Palm Beach County forecast and records

Here’s the high temperature forecast and the corresponding high for that day in West Palm Beach, according to the weather service.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 22. Forecast high 83 degrees. Record high was 89 on Feb. 22, 1974.

▪ Thursday, Feb. 23. Forecast high is 84 degrees. Record high was 88 on Feb. 23, 1991.

▪ Friday, Feb. 24. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 88 on Feb. 24, 2019.

▪ Saturday, Feb. 25. Forecast high is 83 degrees. Record high was 90 on Feb. 25, 1928.

▪ Sunday, Feb. 26. Forecast high is 84 degrees. Record high was 90 on Feb. 26, 1918.

The Zeh family goes for a bike ride at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.
The Zeh family goes for a bike ride at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.

Dry days ahead

Rain is not in the South Florida forecast through at least Tuesday, according to the weather service.

Baxter says that is due to a ridge of high pressure.

“We have the ridge right smack over us so that’s what’s keeping us dry right now and keeping all the fronts away, too,” he said.

Elevated rip currents are expected through the week along coastal beaches in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

The weather service issued a warning concerning red tide at some Collier County beaches. Red tide can cause respiratory issues for some people.

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