50th Anniversary Weather Forecast And An Update On Hurricane Sam

Final preparations are underway for the kickoff of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.  There are a number of special activities planned including many exciting debuts.  Will the weather cooperate?

50th Anniversary Celebration

October 1st officially marks the start of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.  We have been covering many of the new experiences, restaurants, stores, and rides that will debut as the celebration begins.  You can even preview some of the nighttime shows early and we have some experiences opening ahead of schedule.  

In many resorts, construction is wrapping up just in time.  Crowds recently have been on the low side, but that is not expected to be the case as the anniversary approaches.  That leaves one big question…will the weather cooperate with all of the exciting plans?

Hurricane Sam

Last week as Sam was forming out in the Atlantic there was some concern about the storm’s potential impacts to the Florida or the East Coast of the United States.  Computer models last week brought the storm along the coast before heading out to sea.  Thankfully, we have seen changes on the models in the upper air setup.  It looks like Sam, while very strong, will stay away from the U.S.  

You can see on the National Hurricane Center graphic above that Sam should make the turn early enough to not pose a threat to the U.S. Sam is still a potential threat to Bermuda, so interests there should pay close attention to how the storm tracks.  

50th Anniversary Weekend Weather

High pressure will be in control as we get to the end of this week with dry but warm conditions in place.  By the end of weekend, a stronger easterly flow off the Atlantic will bring in some more moisture as one system heads through the Tennessee Valley and another moves through the Caribbean Sea.  

Here is our weather forecast for the 50th Anniversary Celebration weekend:  

Thursday, September 30th:  Mostly Sunny, High 90.  East wind 5-10mph  

Friday, October 1st:  Partly Cloudy, High 89.  East wind 5-10mph 

Saturday, October 2nd: Partly Cloudy, 20% Chance of a Shower, High 88. East wind 10-15mph 

Sunday, October 3rd: Variable Clouds, 30% Chance of a Shower or Thunderstorm, High 86. East wind 10-15mph

Monday, October 4th: Variable Clouds, 20% Chance of a Shower, High 86. East wind 5-10mph

Low temperatures throughout the forecast will be in the upper 60’s to around 70.  Low temperatures getting to the upper 60’s are one of the signs that we are getting closer to fall weather.  We are starting to see a little relief at night in Central Florida as the slightly drier air allows temperatures to drop more.

Weather Wrap Up

While moisture from the easterly flow will be on the increase throughout the weekend, we are not expecting an organized storm or anything like that.  We are not expecting much, if any, impact on on experiences.  Overall, the weather will cooperate with the start of the 50th Anniversary, which is great news!

I will be back with another update this week with any changes to the forecast.  Are you headed to Disney World for the start of the 50th Anniversary?  What are you excited about most?  Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.