A cold front descending on South Florida Sunday night may cut temperatures almost in half by the start of the work week.

After a high of 83 degrees at 2 p.m. Sunday expect nightly and morning lows in the 50s by Monday morning with wind chills in the 40s in some spots. The coldest period will be early Tuesday morning with wind chills in the mid-upper 40s for eastern metro areas and upper 30s to lower 40s for interior and Southwest Florida, according to meteorologist Anthony Reynes’ briefing from the National Weather Service in Miami.

The cool trend stretches through the work week through Thursday. Temperatures could remain mild even as Miami approaches next weekend, according to forecasters.

The wind chills, however, will make it feel cooler for us and outdoor animals.

What is wind chill?

The wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside, according to the weather service. Wind chill does not cause the same reaction with inanimate objects like water pipes or car radiators filled with water. Instead, wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. “As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder,” meteorologists explain.

Bodies of water won’t cool down below the actual temperature. So if the air temperature is 35 degrees but the wind chill is under 30 degrees you still won’t be able to skate across Lake Okeechobee.

Select highs, lows, wind chill in Miami

Here are the lowest predicted temperatures and accompanying wind chill factors at select times along with a high temperature time range in Miami during this week’s cold front, according to the weather service.

▪ Sunday: The day will be warm at 83. But the change comes after dinner. The 11 p.m. low temperature: 62.

▪ Tuesday: 5 a.m. low temperature: 50. Wind chill: 46. The high will rise to 67 degrees between 2-5 p.m. Some areas, like Homestead, could dip into the mid-40s. Fort Lauderdale could be in the upper 40s in the morning.

▪ Wednesday: 5 a.m. low temperature: 56. The high will rise to 69 degrees between 2-5 p.m.

▪ Thursday: 6 a.m. low temperature 56. The high will rise to 70 at 3 p.m.

▪ Friday: 5 a.m. low temperature 60. The high will rise to 72 at 2 p.m.

Rain chance

The only real chance for rain is during a breezy Sunday afternoon between 2 and 5 p.m. ahead of the cold front when it’s just under 20% and wind gusts kick up to about 26 mph. The rest of the week will be sunny. Elevated waves and rip currents could make for hazardous marine conditions late Sunday into the early week.