Latest December 2023 Forecast Prediction For FL Released

FLORIDA — Winter has unofficially begun with slightly cooler than average temperatures in Florida and increased precipitation expected, a new forecast says.

The Weather Channel said in an updated outlook released Thursday that December could bring slightly cooler than average conditions along the East Coast into Florida this month thanks to the El Nino weather pattern.

Last week, warming shelters opened in parts of Tampa Bay as overnight lows dropped into the 40s. Temperatures will fluctuate this week in Florida, with highs from the low 80s to upper 60s.

The Southeast could have a wet month as the central U.S. stays dry: Parts of the Gulf Coast into the Carolinas are most likely to have wetter-than-average conditions this December. The Southeast typically has wetter-than-average winters during El Niño, the Weather Channel said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects the El Niño pattern to bring rainy conditions to Florida this winter.

In most El Niño winters, Florida is wetter and warmer than normal from January to March. With a stronger El Niño winter expected and the southern jet stream track pushing down further south, though, Florida will likely see wetter and cooler conditions this winter.

Here's the latest National Weather Service forecast for the Tampa region:

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81. West northwest wind around 9 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. North northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67. North northwest wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northeast wind 9 to 11 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

• Related: Strong El Niño Is A Certainty: How Much Rain, Cold Should FL Expect?

The Climate Prediction Center says with 100 percent certainty the strengthening El Niño weather pattern will last through early winter, and with 90 percent certainty that it will last until spring. This year’s El Niño, which began developing in June, is the first in four years.

Not all El Niños are the same, and that adds uncertainty to winter forecasts, according to The Weather Channel.

In general, the forecast calls for warmer-than-average temperatures in the northern U.S. from the Great Lakes to western Canada to Alaska; drier-than-normal conditions in the Midwest and Ohio Valley; wetter conditions in the Southwest; and cooler-than-normal temperatures in the South and Southeast.