The strongest cold front yet this season could produce a round or two of strong thunderstorms ahead of it in the Florida Panhandle Sunday Night, then across parts of North Florida Monday.
The strongest storms might produce damaging wind gusts to 60 mph, small hail, and even an isolated tornado. Chances of this occurring are highest along the Gulf Coast from Pensacola to Panama City Sunday Night and early Monday morning. A second, but potentially equally as strong round of thunderstorm activity is expected to develop and move along the I-10 corridor roughly from Lake City to Jacksonville Monday afternoon. The strong storms may extend as far south as Gainesville and Ocala by early Monday evening.
As the front sweeps across the rest of the peninsula, the intensity and coverage of the thunderstorm activity is likely to diminish. However, gusty winds and a few showers may ride along the front all the way to South Florida during the day Tuesday.
This week’s front will usher in the coldest air mass experienced by most Floridians since April. It will also by a remarkably drier air mass, signaling the end to the 2017 rainy season for the entire state.