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Orlando weather: Cold front brings rain, seasonable temps for St. Patrick's Day

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Published  March 12, 2026 6:12am EDT
Weather Forecast
FOX 35 Orlando
Orlando PM Weather Forecast: Rain returns to Central Florida

Orlando PM Weather Forecast: Rain returns to Central Florida

Rain pushes thru Central Florida this evening with more rain on the way to wrap up the weekend and start next week. Meteorologist Laurel Blanchard times out the rain and when to expect a cool down. 

The Brief

    • Thursday will be dry and humid early, then scattered showers and possible strong storms in the afternoon/evening as a cold front arrives; temps in the mid–upper 80s before cooler air moves in overnight.
    • Friday will be mostly drier and less humid with a few coastal showers possible; highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
    • Weekend–Next Week: Hit-or-miss showers Saturday, more storms Sunday–Monday with another front, then cooler and drier by Tuesday with highs in the upper 60s–low 70s.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A cold front is moving through Central Florida this evening, bringing a shift from the record-approaching heat of the past few days to more seasonable, breezy conditions.

This cold front will be joined by a second in a few days. 

Tonight & Friday: The cooldown begins

What To Expect:

The cold front will continue to spark scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder through Thursday night.

Winds: Gusts could reach up to 25 mph during the passage of the front.

Tonight's lows: Once the front clears, skies will brighten and temperatures will bottom out in the low 60s.

Friday highs: Expect a much cooler day with highs reaching the upper 70s to low 80s, a notable drop from the upper 80s seen earlier this week.

Orlando drought

Local perspective:

The rain will give some reprieve to drought in the Orlando area – which is currently 68.76% in moderate drought and 31.24% Severe Drought in Orange County. 

These cold fronts come in a timely manner as Orlando dips into a severe drought. 

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The weekend outlook

Looking Ahead:

The weather will cool down into the weekend. 

Saturday: As we get into more of an onshore flow on Saturday, hit-or-miss showers and storms are on the table. It won't be a washout with rain chances around 30%. We will experience a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low 80s.

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Sunday and Monday: A second, more significant cold front is expected to arrive. This system will keep showers and thunderstorms in the forecast and usher in a more substantial cooldown.

St. Patrick’s Day Forecast

If you are planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, you may need an extra layer.

Temperature drop: Highs are forecast to plunge from the 80s down into the 60s on Tuesday.

The Source: This story was written with information from the FOX 35 Storm Team.

Weather Forecast