Sebastian, Vero Beach Residents Prepare for Cold Front

SEBASTIAN – A cold front is expected to arrive in Sebastian and Vero Beach on Sunday, as Indian River County residents prepare for a cold front that will bring a threat of severe storms and the possibility of tornadoes.

If you’re doing anything this weekend, do it on Saturday. A cold front in January can bring more damaging weather this time of year than in the summer months.

“This Sunday, the threat for severe weather is elevated as a frontal system moves across our area. Now is the time to plan & prepare,” the National Weather Service said in a statement.

The NWS predicts strong wind gusts of 50 mph. Some areas in Indian River County could see gusts between 60 mph and 80 mph.

There could be hail of up to 1 inch in diameter. There could be frequent lightning in Vero Beach and Sebastian.

The NWS predicts 1 inch of rain, and that’s a good thing since the county is going through a dry spell.

So far this year, we haven’t seen freezing temperatures that often linger. It’s been a warm winter at best.

Friday night lows will be around 59 degrees. Saturday is expected to be in the lower 80s for the high. Saturday night lows will be in the mid-60s.

Everything changes on Sunday when the rain chance increases to 80 percent. Highs will be around 83 degrees, with lows around 60. High winds, hail, severe thunderstorms are likely.

However, Sunday night is when the cold front enters the county. The winds will quickly pick up after midnight and temperatures will drop Monday morning to 53 degrees.

The next cold front for the area will be next Friday when we’ll begin to see lows in the mid-40s.