Sun early, storms late!

Lots of sunshine expected through the early part of the afternoon with increasing clouds and scattered storms into the evening hours with highs in the 90s.  - Eric

Hot & humid with isolated rain.

Monday will be humid with high temperatures in the 90s and isolated rain during the afternoon and evening hours.  - Eric

Mainly dry evening Sunday!

For the rest of the day it looks like mainly dry conditions with temps in the 80s!  - Eric

Fewer clouds, less rain Sunday

We can expect a mix of sun and clouds with isolated rain and highs around 90 on Sunday.  - Eric

Hot and humid today!

Highs will be in the 90s with humidity levels making things feel much more than 100, but scattered storms could help cool things off late in the day.  - Eric

Mostly inland rain today.

We'll have a mix of sun and clouds across southwest Florida today with scattered rain and highs near 90.  - Eric

A gray weekend.

A mostly cloudy sky will stay with us this weekend with scattered storms and highs around 90.  - Eric

Hot and humid before another round of storms.

After starting out mostly sunny, the sky will become mostly cloudy with scattered rain and storms with highs in the 90s.  - Eric

Inland storms during the afternoon hours...

After morning showers west of I-75, afternoon storms will pop up during the afternoon and evening hours with highs in the 90s.  - Eric

Storms and a tropical wave.

Isolated storms likely again on Wednesday as we keep our eyes on a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic expected to become a tropical depression soon.  - Eric

Hot & humid with more storms Tuesday.

Thunderstorms will develop and move to the east Tuesday afternoon with highs in the lower to mid 90s.  - Eric

Fewer storms today!

That's right, more sunshine than the last few days with isolated inland storms and highs in the mid 90s.  - Eric

Warmer Today!

With a mix of sun and clouds, highs will top out in the lower 90s with scattered storms.  - Eric

Cloudy Monday

The sky will be mostly cloudy today with scattered rain and highs in the upper 80s.  - Eric

Rainy Monday :(

It looks like rain and storms are likely on Monday with highs in the 80s.  - Eric

Stormy Sunday!

Sunday will start out mostly sunny and become mostly cloudy by the afternoon hours as scattered storms move across southwest Florida.  - Eric

Warmer and drier today!

Less rain and more sun today as temperatures rise into the low 90s.  - Eric

Rainy Tuesday

A mostly cloudy sky with lots of rain and storms for your Tuesday with highs in the upper 80s.  - Eric

Where's the sun?

With a mostly cloudy sky and an abundance of moisture in the atmosphere, there won't be much sun on Monday.  In fact the sky will be mostly cloudy with scattered storms through the evening hours.  - Eric

More rain Monday

The sky will be mostly cloudy on Monday with rain likely and highs in the upper 80s.  - Eric

Evening Storms!

It looks like temperatures will be in the 80s Saturday evening with scattered storms before becoming mostly clear overnight!  - Eric

Another rainy Sunday afternoon.

That's right plenty of sunshine during the morning hours, but afternoon thunderstorms will cool down temperatures that will top out in the 90s.  - Eric

Happy 4th of July!!

Another hot one for the 4th with temperatures in the mid 90s and the chance of late day storms!  - Eric

Another hot, humid day!!

Temperatures will top out in the 90s feeling more like 100 to 105 with afternoon storms.  - Eric

Another hot and humid day!

That's right highs will be in mid 90s with heat indices over 100 degrees today.  There is the chance of an isolated storm to help cool things off.  - Eric

Another hot day Monday...

It looks like temperatures will soar into the 90s with afternoon storms possible.  - Eric

Isolated rain and hot Sunday!

The possibility of morning showers and afternoon storms stay with us on Sunday with temperatures in the 90s.  - Eric

Tropical Storm Debby making landfall...

At 3 pm Tuesday, Tropical Storm Debby has started making landfall in Dixie County, near Cedar Key.  What that means for us is more rain bands and gusty winds for the rest of the day.  - Eric

More rain with gusty winds on Tuesday...

For the rest of Monday and into Tuesday we can expect a cloudy sky with rain and wind.  - Eric

Rain lasting through the weekend...

It looks like a cloudy sky will stay with us through Sunday with rain likely and highs in the lower to mid 80s.  - Eric

Cloudy with scattered rain today.

We'll have to get used to this weather pattern the next few days of a cloudy sky with scattered rain.  Highs will only make it into the mid 80s.  - Eric

More clouds today...

A mix of sun and clouds for your Tuesday with the slight chance of an isolated shower.  - Eric

Moisture returns to southwest Florida tomorrow!

Partly cloudy for your Tuesday with isolated rain in the afternoon.  - Eric

A beautiful start to the week...

Plenty of sunshine with dry conditions the next couple of days with highs in the low 90s.  - Eric

Drier for Father's Day

Drier and hot on Father's Day with highs in the low 90s.  - Eric

Another cloudy day across southwest Florida

There won't be much rain in the area, but the big story will be the cloudy sky that will stick around through the overnight hours, and then sunshine returns for parts of the weekend!  - Eric

Cloudy with scattered rain today!

It looks like another gray day across southwest Florida as tropical moisture continues to stream in from the west.  - Eric

Cloudy and humid through tonight!

The transit of Venus will be difficult to see due to a cloudy sky.  Conditions will remain humid tonight with isolated rain possible as lows only drop into the upper 70s.  - Eric

High clouds and a sun halo!

What you're seeing around the sun is a ring caused by the refraction of light off of cirrus clouds over 30,000 feet made of ice crystals.  Otherwise it will be warm and humid tonight with isolated coastal showers possible!  - Eric

Most of the rain due to end Saturday.

There could be a few showers early in the day Saturday, but a partly cloudy sky in the afternoon with warmer highs around 90 with lots of sun Sunday and highs climbing out in the low 90s.  - Eric

Mostly cloudy with rain Thursday and Friday

It looks like a couple of gray days coming up with scattered storms through Saturday morning.  Sunday looks beautiful with highs in the mid 90s.  - Eric

Beryl continues to move northeastward.

Tropical depression Beryl moves to the northeast not affecting southwest Florida.  Warm and humid for the rest of the day with isolated showers possible tonight and inland storms likely tomorrow.  - Eric

Beryl weakens, warm nights ahead!

Beryl is now a tropical depression not affecting southwest Florida.  The next couple of nights will be warm and humid thanks to a persistent gulf breeze.  Afternoons will consist of isolated inland storms.  - Eric

Beryl eyes NE Florida.

TS Beryl will make landfall overnight with winds of 65 mph.  For us in southwest Flroida, we can expect scattered inland storms for Memorial Day with highs around 90.  - Eric

Subtropical storm aimed at northern Florida

It looks like Beryl will impact northeastern Florida bringing with it 3 to 5 inches of rain.  In southwest Florida we are expecting scattered afternoon rain for the rest of the holiday weekend.  - Eric

A few isolated showers mainly inland!

If you're west of I-75 its looking partly cloudy with low humidity as highs climb into the lower 90s.  - Eric

A beautiful start to your Monday!

A clear sky will become partly cloudy this afternoon with just a slight chance of a shower mainly inland with highs in the low 90s.  - Eric

A few afternoon storms Monday.

We're going to wake up to a clear morning Monday with afternoon rain and even a thunderstorm possible with highs near 90.  - Eric

First tropical storm in the Atlantic!

Alberto is at 60 mph as of Saturday evening and will move away from southwest Florida in the next couple of days.  - Eric

Don't forget the umbrella!

A cloudy sky with rain and even a thunderstorm possible for your Wednesday.  - Eric

Rainy season is here!

Scattered inland rain likely today with highs around 90 degrees.  - Eric

Not the best day to work on your tan!

The sky will be mostly cloudy throughout your Monday with isolated rain in the afternoon!  - Eric

A rainy afternoon for Mom!

Take Mom out to dinner early or bring an umbrella as scattered storms will develop during the afternoon hours with highs around 90.  - Eric

More rain this afternoon!

Isolated inland rain this afternoon with a drier pattern returning Friday and Saturday.  - Eric

Inland Thunderstorms

Steering currents are set to stay West to East this week.  Such a pattern will allow for afternoon inland thunderstorms for the next few days. - Jim

A few more clouds this afternoon.

It still looks like a nice Monday with a partly cloudy sky with a high around 90 degrees.  - Eric

A gorgeous beach day Sunday!

It looks like another mostly sunny, warm day with highs in the upper 80s for your Sunday.

Sunny and warm this weekend!

It looks like we could see a passing shower this afternoon across southwest Florida, but it will be partly cloudy and warm for the weekend with highs near 90!  - Eric

Hot

93 degrees on Wednesday was the hottest of the year so far.  While I don't expect any more 93's for awhile, temperatures will be above average through next week. - Jim

We'll see the sun soon!

Mostly cloudy, breezy, and scattered rain today into Wednesday with more sun later in the week!  - Eric

Weekend

A warm weekend is expected with a few cloudy periods.  Scattered rain is possible Saturday, isolated rain Sunday. - Jim

Just like yesterday, but warmer.

Thats right sunshine all day long, but today highs will be in the mid 80s!  - Eric

Another chilly morning ahead!

If you thought it was cool this morning, temperatures will be even cooler tomorrow morning after highs today rise into the upper 70s.  - Eric

Rain is on the way!

Isolated rain in the forecast the next couple of afternoons with heavy rain and thunderstorms likely Saturday into Sunday morning.  - Eric

Rain on the way

As I showed you last night on WINK, we are expecting a wet set-up at the surface and aloft from Thursday through Sunday. Saturday-Sunday looks best for strong storms. - Jim

Another beautiful day in southwest Florida

It looks like a great day to head to the beach with a partly cloudy sky and highs in the upper 80s!  - Eric

More sunshine, warm, and breezy Sunday!

A beautiful Sunday with a partly cloudy sky, low humidity, breezy conditions, and warm temperatures across southwest Florida.

Breezy with a little rain this afternoon

Isolated rain this afternoon with a breezy wind between 15 and 20 mph.  A better day for outdoor activities on Sunday!  - Eric

Warm with low humidity for your Friday!

Great beach weather again today with a partly cloudy sky and highs in the upper 80s this afternoon!  - Eric

A sunny start to your Thursday!

As a cold front moves in from the north, the chance of an isolated rain shower increases mainly east of I-75.  Otherwise partly cloudy and warm again!  - Eric

A great start to the week!

Monday will start out clear and cool and finish with a few afternoon clouds with highs in the mid 80s and continued low humidity!  - Eric

Happy Easter Everyone!

It looks like we've got a beautiful Easter holiday with a mostly sunny sky and temperatures in the mid 80s with low humidity!  Enjoy!  - Eric

Cold Front

The last noticeable cold front until October? Temperatures will drop 5-10 degrees through Monday morning as a sl;ightly cooler, drier airmass moves through. - Jim

Last of the hot days!

It looks like we could tie a record in Fort myers today, but rain is on the way tonight into Friday!

Record highs two days in a row?

It sure looks like it, the record in Fort Myers for Wednesday is 90 which is what we're forecasting with lots of sunshine!  - Eric

Near record highs today!

Try to get to the beach or pool if you can as temperatures soar to 90 degrees this afternoon with lots of sunshine!

Near Record Highs in the Forecast

While temperatures this afternoon will fall several degrees shy of our record of 91° (set in 1975), highs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be within 2° of records. A dry radar is forecast through the work week, and as of now, there is a small chance for iso. showers Saturday. And remember in the dry season, rain is a good thing!

Sunny and warm to start the week!

That's right plenty of sunshine with highs near 90 through this week!  - Eric

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Well maybe not "hot" per se but certainly warm! Temperatures 5-10° above average will continue in SW FL into the first week of April. March 2012 will likely be Fort Myers' 3rd warmest March since records began and for Punta Gorda, the 4th warmest!
--KW

Great beach weather this weekend!

The gulf breeze will keep the sky mostly sunny near the coast, partly cloudy inland with temperatures through the weekend in the upper 80s.  - Eric

Partly cloudy & warm through the weekend!

Great beach weather this weekend as the gulf breeze keeps coastal locations mostly sunny!  Highs across southwest Florida will be in the upper 80s with a partly cloudy sky.

Beach weather continues!

Mostly sunny heading into the weekend with temps climbing into the upper 80s.     - Eric

A gorgeous Monday!

How about a mostly sunny sky with warm temperatures in the mid 80s and low humidities to start off your week right!

Cooler temps tonight!!

After a cold front brought a few showers to southwest Florida, the sky has cleared and temperatures tonight will fall into the mid 60s!

Rain on Sunday!

It looks like a cold front is going to bring showers into the area Sunday.  Then warm and less humid Monday with plenty of sunshine!.

Eric

Trying for the record today at 88!! So far 86!! Let's go!!

Record high in fort Myers is 88 today.. Climbing to 86 so far.. A few showers are expected later thus evening so it's a battle between the sun and clouds... We will find out in in a few hours...

Sent from Zed's iPhone

Cold front

Cold front still due on Sunday. A few clouds and a shower.

Sent from my iPhone

Warm Weekend

Believe it not, a weak cold front will arrive Sunday, with a few clouds and showers. It will NOT get cool, but relative humidity will drop Monday and Tuesday. - Jim

Warm

Winter ends and Spring begins this week, but the temperatures will not vary. Lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s are here to stay. - Jim

Thursday's Tornadoes in Michigan

While things have been warm and fairly quiet in southwest Florida, that hasn't been the case elsewhere. On Thursday 3 tornadoes tore through parts of Michigan. The National Weather Service says the most destructive was an EF-3 that hit Dexter, damaging 100 homes and destroying 13. The tornado had an estimated maximum wind of 140 miles per hour and damage path of just over 7 miles. There was also an EF-0 in the town of Ida and an EF-2 in Columbiaville. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries.

For pics and the official assessment:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=dtx&storyid=80731&source=0

Warmer Than Average Continues

April-like warmth will continue through at least the next 7 days. A ridge of high pressure in the Southeast will remain in place, deflecting any weather maker attempting to cross its path. That means highs in the mid 80s will become our "norm" and a mainly dry radar will persist.

Hello Spring!

Spring may not officially begin for another week or so, but it's certainly feeling like it stepping outdoors! This weekend, expect highs in the low 80s along the coast and mid 80s elsewhere, a partly cloudy sky and isolated afternoon showers.

Breezy

Breezy conditions are in place for the next 2 days. Coupled with low humidity, the brush fire danger remains elevated this week. - Jim

March 2, 2012 Severe Weather Recap

14 of the 48 states in the continental U.S. experienced some sort of severe weather Friday, March 2nd; that's roughly 30% of the country! Tornadoes occurred in at least 9 states, and there were a total of 80 preliminary tornado reports. The storms not only produced long-lived tornadoes but large hail as well. Tennis and softball size hail was reported in TN and KY. Remember, reports on this map are considered preliminary. Local National Weather Service agencies will be out today surveying damage. Stay tuned to WINK for the latest.

Winter Weather Summary

While the official start of spring is still a couple weeks away, mother nature kicked Old Man Winter out of Southwest Florida a while ago...or perhaps she never let him in.

December 2011 through February 2012 averaged 2 degrees warmer than normal. This winter stands in contrast to the previous two, which were colder than average. Why the warmth you may ask? Two natural cycles: La Nina and a positive phase of the North American Oscillation. In short, this pattern means the jet stream is located far to the north over the Great Lakes and Northeast, allowing high pressure to situate itself over the Southeast, causing warm east and southeast wind to blow across SW FL.

After a very dry December and January, February brought us much-needed rainfall but did little to help the deficit; overall winter rainfall averaged 2 to 4 inches below normal.

So what can we expect for March, April & May? According to the Climate Prediction Center, more of the same--above average temperatures and below average rainfall.

-Katie

Warm!

Unseasonably warm temperatures are here for the week. A new cold front will arrive Sunday afternoon, so it will not be as warm next week. - Jim

Spring Fever in SW FL!

It's hard to not feel "spring fever" when temperatures are in the middle 80s! A cold front, however, will bring a brief break from the warmth beginning Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. But by Sunday afternoon, highs will once again warm up to 80, and the trend will continue into the work week.

-KW

Slightly Cooler Temps Forecast Monday

Thanks to a weak cold front that passed through SW FL this evening, cooler air will filter in overnight and into your President's Day. Tonight, expect clearing skies with lows in the upper 50s, around 60. Ideal outdoor weather is forecast Monday with highs in the mid-upper 70s, lower dew points and plentiful sunshine! The low 80s will return Tuesday and stick around through Friday.

-Katie

Isolated Showers Expected Sunday

While today is forecast to bring pristine beach and outdoor-weather, the chance for rain is in the forecast. We are watching a storm system in the southern Plains that continues to intensify. This weather-maker will increase our rain chances Sunday afternoon. Accumulation, however, is forecast to be light, and generally less than .10". This same system will bring snowfall to western TN, KY, WV, VA, southern MD, southern DE, and Washington, DC Sunday...Up to 10" are expected in southern WV!


-Katie

A Major Storm in the Making

What is producing scattered showers in the ArkLaTex area will continue to develop into quite a weather-maker for the eastern half of the country. We here in SW FL will receive light showers from this system on Sunday and slightly cooler temps Monday. Our friends in WV, VA, DC, MD, DE, southern NJ, and southern PA, including Philly, can expect a decent amount of snowfall Sunday...up to 15" in places. The heaviest amounts look to be in the two Virginias and southern MD.

-Katie

Warm

3 More warm days until a new cold front arrives on Sunday. We need rain! We might get a few showers Sunday, then cooler Monday. - Jim

Warmer weather on the way! How about low 80s by Wednesday. A few showers on Sunday are possible.

After a cold start Monday morning we felt a little warmer by the afternoon. Highs got into the low 70s. This warming trend will continue into the end of the week. We will see highs in the low 80s. That is above average, average high temp is 77 in Fort Myers. We could see a few more clouds this weekend and we are tracking a weak front that could bring us rain by Sunday. Not a lot of rain is expected and your weekend forecast could change. Enjoy the next 5 days!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Winter Returns to SW FL!

While temperatures will reach the low 70s this afternoon, a strong wind out of the north and northwest will drive in much colder air tonight. Lows will dip into the 40s and 30s east of I-75 and north of the Caloosahatchee River. Wind chills will be even colder. So, if you have sensitive plants, bring them in not only tonight but tomorrow night as well, when we're anticipating even colder lows.

-Katie

Change of plans

New forecast run indicates a drier and colder weekend than expected. So the new gameplan includes scattered rain late Friday through early Saturday then colder on Sunday. - Jim

More wet weather ahead

I am keeping my eye on a cold front that should be accompanied by rain late Saturday through early Sunday. - Jim

Scattered Rain

The tropical disturbance, Invest 90, didn't last long but the flow of sub-tropical air continues much of this week. It looks like some sunshine near the coast with clouds and scattered rain inland on Tuesday. When will it clear? After a cold front this weekend. Saturday should be cloudy and wet, Sunday looks sunnier and drier. - Jim

Warm

Looks like a false alarm on the Arctic Oscillation. It will be colder on Feb 5, but not a significant or long event. Temps should stay above average next 7 days. - Jim

AO ?

Warmer than average temperatures will continue in the short run, but colder conditions may be here in 1-2 weeks.

http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/patterns/arctic_oscillation.html

The Arctic Osillation can be a good early indicator and it looks like the AO will swing to a negative phase. This would indicate colder air for the east coast, including Florida. Stay tuned! - Jim Farrell

How about those temps!?

It was another day of warmer than average temperatures. Here in Fort Myers, we got up to 79, but many spots touched that 80 degree mark, and more of the same is on the way through the next 7 days.

Also, dry conditions will persist, which will warrant watching as our fire danger will slowly rise and drought conditions worsen.

-KW

A weak cold front

A weak cold front will pass through tonight. It is soooo weak, high temperatures will be near 80 degrees again by Friday. BTW, I see global teleconnections that indicate February could be VERY cold in Sw Florida. - Jim

Another Cold Snap Expected Sooner Rather than Later

Temperatures warmed above average this afternoon; some locales were in the 80s! A strong cold front will pass through SW FL tomorrow morning, filtering in much chillier air. Highs Friday afternoon will struggle to even hit 70, and this cool trend will linger into the weekend. The coldest morning on tap will be Sunday with a low in the low to mid 40s.

-KW

The First Rain of 2012

An approaching cold front is producing a line of storms currently over the Tampa/St. Pete area. This line will continue east/southeastward and into SW FL this afternoon. Meanwhile, light showers continue over southern Collier county. The front will pass through this evening, but it will take a couple days for the coolest air to filter into SW FL; Friday and Saturday's highs will struggle to hit 70.

-Katie

High Pressure in Control This Weekend

Lows were still on the cool side this Saturday morning, and areas of dense fog created tricky travel in certain spots. Temperatures this afternoon will warm into the mid to upper 70s with a light southwest breeze, and even warmer highs are forecast tomorrow! While a dry radar is expected over the weekend and into the beginning of the work week, scattered showers late Wednesday are possible. Happy Weekend!

-KW

Low 80s on the way!

As usual, the cold lasted but a few days. But for many, a few days is plenty. This afternoon, temperatures will warm into the mid 70s, near the average for this time of year, and by Sunday 80!

Areas of dense fog this morning created travel headaches, especially in Lee county. Watch again for patchy fog late tonight and tomorrow morning.

-Katie

Cooooold!

Tonight will be the coldest night we have had since December 2010, about 12 1/2 months.

I expect near freezing temperatures in town and lows in the 20s inland by morning. - Jim