Are you ready for 30s and frost?

End of week to bring cold snap

Jack Frost really may be nipping at your nose later this week — the forecast calls for a rare chance of frost in the northwestern parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

The Arctic blast that has gripped the northern United States is scheduled to arrive in South Florida beginning Wednesday and a chance of frost comes Thursday or Friday, said weather service meteorologist Steven Ippoliti.

The low temperatures are predicted to go into the mid-30s starting Wednesday, with a low of 36 degrees, which is not a record but is cold for here.

“The chance of frost on Thursday is less likely because the wind is going to keep up,” Ippoliti predicted. “But on Friday, the winds are going to calm down more, so there’s a better chance of frost.”

If it comes, it will likely dust inland areas. And it is not just the ground that will be affected. Commuters in Parkland, Coconut Creek and west Deerfield Beach might find the frosty stuff on their windshields, Ippoliti said.

He says delicate plants should be covered and pets that stay outside should brought inside.

“Take precautions for anything susceptible to the cold,” he said. “Pets are like us. They get used to the warmer temperatures. So when it gets cold, it really affects them.”

Daytime temperatures are expected to dip into the 50s in Palm Beach County on Thursday, while staying in the low 60s in Broward County.

You might want to keep your sweater handy on Friday and Saturday, too — temperatures will stay in the 60s throughout the region on those days. But by Sunday, it’s back to the 70s.