ORLANDO, Fla. - The cold front swings through Sunday night into Monday morning. This is when the colder air is going to start filtering into Central Florida. It will feel drastically different Monday afternoon compared to Sunday, with wind gusts around 20–25 mph, along with temps in the low to mid-60s. Temperatures continue to tumble from there into our Tuesday.
Where is the cold front coming from? What's a Polar Vortex?
This cold front is coming in from the NW, and it allows a big dip in the jetstream to dive southward toward the Southeast. This dip in the jetstream allows the cold air to just spill out of Canada into the United States.
Yes, we can say that this Arctic Blast is a result of the Polar Vortex, but the opposite of what you may think. It's actually a weaker Polar Vortex. When the Polar Vortex is weaker, the jetstream becomes wavier, and allows big swings in temperatures.
The Polar Vortex sits in the stratosphere, some 10 to 30 miles above the Earth's poles and intensifies during the winter, when a lack of sunlight cools the air at this height to below -70 degrees Celsius.
The polar vortex typically remains locked over the North Pole and in Canada, as well as up in the stratosphere. It's separated from warmer air in the lower level of the atmosphere, the troposphere, that makes up the weather we experience.
Where will it be the coldest? Which cities/areas will receive the coldest air?
The coldest air of the season thus far arrives Monday night into Tuesday and sticks around throughout the day. It's a short-lived cold blast, but it's going to be potent. The cold air and wind combo won't do us any favors either. Temperatures will go from the mid-60s on Monday to just in the 30s-40s overnight into Tuesday.
Some of our interior, northwestern neighborhoods could get into the mid-30s. Northern Florida will likely have the first freeze of the season, so be sure you cover or bring your plant inside. The wind will make it feel brutal on Tuesday AM and really throughout much of the day.
That is why we have Storm Team Alert for both Monday and Tuesday. Feels Like Temps will be in the 20s-30s out at the bus stop on Tuesday AM, so be sure you grab your winter weather gear. Jackets, gloves, and hats will be good.
The Source: This story was written based off information shared by the FOX 35 Storm Team on Nov. 8, 2025.