Expect near record warm temperatures this weekend across Southwest Florida – ahead of a cold front meteorologists say will blow through on Monday.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Ruskin say there’s a front on its way – and that it’s bringing cold temperatures with it. But don’t get out your sweaters until Tuesday or so. And between now and then, keep your shorts on.

Meteorologist - Jennifer Colson – says the chance the front will stall is slim.

“It really looks like it’s going to move well through the state and actually make it into Cuba and that far south with pretty strong pressure building in behind it. So at this point and time it looks like it’s a pretty good bet. We’ll also probably be getting near record temperatures over the weekend ahead of the front, so the warm weather will continue.”

Southwest Florida saw the 3rd warmest December on record – with average temperatures nearly 4 degrees above normal.

Colson says that’s thanks to the El Nino weather pattern – which typically translates to milder…and wetter…winters. And she says although it will cool off next week, that doesn’t mean an end to this winter’s unseasonably warm weather.

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Last month was one of the warmest on record in Southwest Florida.

Forecasters say the so-called El Nino weather pattern is behind the warm, wet weather. When El Nino is occurring Florida typically sees milder winters, and less active hurricane seasons.

Jennifer Colson is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

“It was the 3rd warmest December with a temperature of 70.9 degrees. The normal average temperature for December is 66.4 – so it was about 4 degrees above normal.”

Colson says a cool change is on the way, though. A cold front is expected to move through Monday and Monday night. .

She says Southwest Florida should see highs around 70 – and overnight lows in the upper 40’s – starting Tuesday.