The first big

cold front of the season will arrive just in time for the weekend. High temperatures will barely hit 60 — with lows in the 40s — starting Friday, forecasters say.

Get out your parkas: The first big cold front of the season will arrive in Central Florida just in time for the weekend.

OK, a sweat shirt or a jacket will be enough for most people, but high temperatures will barely hit 60 — with lows in the 40s — starting Friday and lasting through the weekend, forecasters say. Parts of northern Lake and Volusia counties could see the chillier temperatures starting Thursday.

“I say ‘cooler’ with quotation marks,” said Jerry Combs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. “But it’s gonna be a good touch of fall for us.”

This will be the first cold spell this fall, and a stark departure from the temperatures in the 80s we’ve been seeing — which is actually above normal. The normal high for this time of year is about 75, he said.

The good news? You shouldn’t have to cover your plants.

“We’re not worried about frost at this point,” Combs said.

Rain is likely Friday as the front moves through, and there’s a 20 percent chance of showers Saturday.

Temperatures will inch up to the mid-60s by Monday. Things should be back to normal by Tuesday, with highs in the 70s.

The cold front is still a far cry from what other areas of the country are seeing — even in the South: snow and sleet are possible in parts of Alabama and Texas.