Weather alert: Freeze watch and wind warnings issued for South Florida
Phones pinged across South Florida Friday afternoon with urgent messages from the National Weather Service in Miami. The alerts advised us to get ready for extreme cold, with a flurry of advisories about windy and freezing conditions this weekend.
Here’s what to know:
Cold weather advisory
The weather service’s cold weather advisory warns of wind chills in the low- and mid-20s for a swath of Miami-Dade and Broward that hasn’t seen a plunge like this since 2010, meteorologist George Rizzuto’s advisory said.
The advisory runs from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. Air temperatures in South Florida and the Miami area in that period are forecast at 51 degrees at 10 p.m. Saturday and 41 at 10 a.m. Sunday.
But the wind chill “feels-like” will drop into the mid-30s at 1 a.m. Sunday and reach the coldest point at 7 a.m. Sunday when the air temperature is a predicted 35 and the wind chill is 25.
A freeze watch also has been issued for South Florida, meaning the potential for widespread freezing temperatures within the next 24 to 36 hours
The alerted regions are coastal Miami-Dade, Broward County and Collier counties. Also, far South Miami-Dade, metro Broward County, metropolitan Miami, and Palm Beach, Glades and Hendry counties. These are the indicated cities and neighborhoods in South Florida and inside the Everglades and within the Miami weather service’s territory named in the cold weather alert:
Miami-Dade
- Kendall and Kendale Lakes, Hialeah, Miami and Carol City.
Broward
- Davie, Sunrise, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, Sawgrass Mills mall area in Sunrise, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines and Deerfield Beach.
Everglades
- Mahogany Hammock and Royal Palm Ranger in Miami-Dade; Northwest Cape Sable in Monroe County and Royal Palm Ranger in Collier County.
Other locations
- Naples, Marco Island, East Naples, Marco Island Airport, Bonita Shores and North Naples.
Wind chill values this low, and air temperatures in the 30s and even above, can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Safety tips
- Wear appropriate clothing for the cold like a hat and gloves and parka if you have one.
- Keep pets indoors as much as possible. At the least, make sure outdoor animals have a warm, dry shelter, food and unfrozen water.
- Make frequent checks on older family, friends and neighbors to make sure they are OK.
- Ensure portable heaters are used correctly.
- Do not use generators or grills inside.
- If you do not have heat in your home or lack shelter, calll 311 in Miami-Dade and Broward County and 211 for Metro Collier County.
Wind advisory
The wind advisory is from 2 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. Northwest winds are forecast at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected.
Gusty winds can blow around unsecured objects so try and secure any yard furniture or ornaments of small plant holders. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result, the weather service said.
Be careful driving, especially for high profile vehicles, Rizzuto says.
Weather warming?
While a gradual warming trend begins on Monday, below average temperatures will last through at least mid-week, Rizzuto said. It’s still going to be 37 degrees with a wind chill of 30 between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Monday and doesn’t get to a high near 58 until the mid-afternoon.
Tuesday’s high is forecast at 67 degrees and Wednesday’s at 73 by 4 p.m.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 3:42 PM.
