South Florida enjoyed a brief break from the chill on Thursday, but a bitter blast of arctic air is getting set to move in this weekend that has residents bracing for near-freezing temperatures and a dangerous wind chill.

Because of this, CBS News Miami is issuing a NEXT Weather Alert on Sunday and Monday.

How cold is it going to get in South Florida this weekend?

The NEXT Weather Team is continuing to track a big cooldown across South Florida.

Temperatures on Friday will reach the upper 60s for most of the region, which will be the warmest until the middle of next week.

We could also see some spotty showers through the mid-morning.

A big cool down will reach the region early on Sunday morning with real temperatures only in the mid-30s.

Wind chill temperatures will push the feels-like temperatures into the mid 20s across both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

CBS NEWS Miami is triggering two Next Weather Alerts, one for Sunday morning and again on Monday morning.

Some interior areas of both counties could see real temperatures at or just above freezing.

Because of this, officials across South Florida are warning residents to make preparations now to stay safe when the temperatures start to plunge.

Is it going to snow in Florida this weekend?

It does’t appear as though it’s going to be cold enough for snow in South Florida this weekend. However, that’s not the same for Central Florida.

Forecasters say there is a slight chance that snow could fall in communities along the Gulf, like in the Tampa Bay area.

But don’t expect anything to accumulate. Forecasters say that if it does snow, it will likely only be in the form of flurries and won’t stick around too long.

The last two times that area saw snow flurries was in January 2010 and December 1989.

South Florida cold weather safety tips

The frigind temperatures approaching South Florida has some people scrambling to keep warm and their families safe this weekend.

Jason Taibl with Coral Aire said homeowners should have their heater regularly checked.

“When that smell that you get when you start it up nine months later, two years later, whatever the case may be, the heating elements are burning the dust off there,” Taibl explained. 

for those who use space heaters, it only takes mere minutes for improper use to lead to a devastating fire.

Experts said a space heater should be at least 3 feet away from anything flammable, should be shut off before leaving the room or going to sleep and should never be plugged into an extension cord.