The start of the final week of October will usher in a storm system that will result in scattered showers and thunderstorms, which will move from west to east across the state.
Forecasters expect the bulk of precipitation to move through the Florida Panhandle and into the Peninsula on Monday, with a few of the storms possibly becoming strong to severe.
While a widespread severe weather outbreak is not expected, the Storm Prediction Center has placed areas such as Panama City and Pensacola under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe storms.
Damaging wind gusts will be the main concern, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, especially in areas where storms move inland off the Gulf.
Rainfall totals between now and Wednesday are expected to be around an inch along the I-10 corridor, with lower amounts along I-75 and south of Interstate 4.
Unlike many cold fronts that quickly sweep through the state, conditions are expected to remain unsettled beyond Monday, keeping rain chances elevated along the immediate eastern coastline until a powerful frontal boundary helps to clear the air midweek.
Even though the midweek frontal boundary will be substantially stronger, most will remain mostly dry with a majority of the moisture impacting the Tennessee Valley and mid-Atlantic.
The second cold front will though help to usher in a substantially cooler air mass by the end of the week for events such as Halloween and the annual Georgia-Florida football game in Jacksonville.
Friday Halloween outlook
Forecast models show the drier, cooler air will dominate much of the state by the start of the Halloween weekend, with temperatures 6 to 12 degrees below average.
For most communities, that will translate into trick-or-treating temperatures that are in the 50s and 60s under clear skies.
The forecast means that it'll be the coolest Halloween for trick-or-treaters in at least four years.
"Be ready to bundle up those ghosts and goblins," forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee warned.
Communities around Pensacola and state capital will be some of the cooler locations across the state, with Miami and Key West being among the warmer spots.
Despite the cool airmass, temperatures will remain well above record lows, which are around 32 degrees in North Florida and around 50 degrees in South Florida for this time of year.
The cooler pattern will persist into early November, bringing a pleasant start to the final month of meteorological fall.
While fall foliage in the Sunshine State may not match the vibrant displays in more northern states, trees that do see their leaves change will soon intensify their annual process during the coming weeks.
