Chilly first day of winter with plenty of sunshine overhead

The Weather Authority says Saturday is the first day of the winter solstice, and it feels like it across Southwest Florida.

While morning temperatures are chilly in the 40s and 50s, we’ll warm up into the mid to upper 60s Saturday afternoon.

Expect sunny skies throughout the day as less humid air continues to filter in.

Sunday

Sunday will be slightly warmer than Saturday. However, temperatures will still be below average into the afternoon, topping out in the low 70s.

Yet again, we’ll see lots of sunshine!

This week

As we kick off the upcoming holiday week, we will see temperatures continue to increase each day until we reach the low 80s.

Sun and clouds stay overhead, with the chance for a stray shower at the beginning of the week.

As we near Christmas and Hanukkah, rain chances increase due to an influx of moisture.

Some models show higher rain chances than others, so our WINK Weather Authority team will keep a close eye on those models over the next few days.

Beach and boating

Today makes for a chilly beach day across Southwest Florida, with those temperatures only reaching the 60s this afternoon.

If you’re planning on going out on the boat, winds will be a bit breezy at times out of the north, around 10 to 15 knots.

Wave heights in the Gulf are reaching 2 to 3 feet, and there is moderate chop in our bays and inland waters.