This is Florida? Frost and freeze warnings issued as cold moves in for a few days
Florida is in for a shiver that will last through the weekend. Here’s what’s happening:
▪ A freeze watch and frost advisory have been issued in Central Florida and in Gainesville.
▪ Local forecasters are telling people to be prepared and offering cold weather tips as an expected front moved in on Thursday, promising days of lows in the 40s in South Florida.
Day time highs in Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys won’t even reach 70 degrees again until Sunday. Instead, expect highs around 68 degrees.
Despite the sunny skies, the low highs in usually warm spots like the Keys is “cooler than normal temperatures” for the start of March, the National Weather Service in Key West said.
▪ Near freezing temperatures are expected in the Tampa Bay-Bradenton area.
“Make sure to dress in layers to protect yourself from the cold,” the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay said Thursday in a hazardous weather outlook.
February still means winter — even for Florida.
Amid the hot weather that opened recent workweeks, we’ve had enough cold snap weekends in February to drive the point home: Winter came. Winter conquered. And winter’s not over until spring arrives March 19.
Cold weather reaction
The big weekend chill means different things depending on one’s perspective.
“I moved here from Boston and honestly I can’t get over how this will be the top story of every newscast for the next 4 days!!! If it were this warm in the northeast in February, we’d all be wearing t shirts & firing up the grill after work!” said Lauren in Boston on Twitter in response to WSVN meteorologist Vivian Gonzalez’s cold weather tips post.
Reminder: that person used to live in Boston, where it was 55 degrees Thursday morning with lows expected in the 20s and teens by Saturday.
“Three of five straight @FlaPanthers home games are in that 4 day span starting with tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs! PERFECT weather to go to @thebbtcenter!” tweeted Shawn Hawkins, a fan of a game in which athletes skate on ice.
Mathew, meanwhile, tells Gonzalez: “My cats like the cold weather.”
Temperatures and wind chills
Hopefully, those felines are of the indoor variety because bringing one’s pets inside is one of Gonzalez’s tips for managing the coming cold front, which is expected to feature lows in the 40s from Thursday night into Sunday in Broward and Miami-Dade.
“In the wake of the cold front, a much cooler air mass will settle over South Florida during the weekend,” the National Weather Service in Miami said in a hazardous weather alert issued Thursday.
“For Friday morning, Friday night into Saturday morning, and Saturday night into Sunday morning, wind-chill readings are expected to fall into the upper 30s to the 40s across interior and western sections of South Florida,” the weather service said.
Gonzalez’s other tips include dressing in layers, being careful with space heaters to avoid house fires, and bringing potted plants inside if need be.
These tips could certainly apply to Central Florida and the Panhandle.
Alachua County is looking at temperatures in the 30s and 40s as the freeze and frost watch goes into effect Thursday night.
“Much of North Central Florida will likely experience frost Friday morning outside of the freeze watch locations. Something to consider for the tender plants in the garden,” said FOX 35 meteorologist Jayme King.
“Temperatures dropping down to freezing up in Ocala and Gainesville!” We’ll drop down to 40 degrees in Orlando,” added fellow FOX 35 meteorologist Kristin Giannas.
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville issued a freeze watch and said Gainesville should see “sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30” and “widespread frost is expected as well” Thursday night into Friday.
When Florida warms up again
Temperatures will climb back to a 75 degree high on Monday in Gainesville, about the same as Miami and Key West should see at the start of the workweek.
Wednesday evening’s rains were the last for awhile. Florida — including Miami-Dade and Broward, Orlando and Tampa — and Gainesville and Tallahassee shouldn’t see rain again through at least Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 12:06 PM.
