Here is your forecast for Saturday, March 15th, 2025.
This afternoon will feature lots of sunshine, but you will feel the winds increasing, gusting between 25-30 mph in the afternoon. High temperatures are expected in the mid to upper 80s. Based upon the current forecast, record high temperatures will be possible in Punta Gorda and maybe Fort Myers.
On Sunday, the wind will pick up even more so, gusting as high as 35 mph, especially near the coastline.
These strong winds are ahead of a cold front which will move through late Sunday night into early Monday. Overnight Sunday into early Monday morning, scattered showers and storms are expected. Based upon the latest data, it looks like that rain will be cleared out by mid-morning on Monday, making for a rather nice, albeit breezy, St. Patrick's Day afternoon in the mid-70s.
TRACKING SEVERE WEATHER IN THE SOUTH (NOT SWFL)
The same cold front that will come through here Sunday night into Monday morning is causing severe weather tonight across the Midwest, including tornadoes and wind gusts to 100 mph. That severe threat heads into the Deep South Saturday.
A tornado outbreak is likely on Saturday across the central Gulf Coast States and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley. Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected on Saturday afternoon and evening. The most dangerous tornado threat should begin across eastern Louisiana and Mississippi during the late morning to afternoon, spread across Alabama late day into the evening, and reach western parts of the Florida Panhandle and Georgia Saturday night.
By the time that system reaches Southwest Florida, the severe threat will be much lower. The greatest threat for thunderstorms will be overnight Sunday into Monday morning.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ANDREW SHIPLEY
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