The coldest air of the winter season is poised to plummet south Wednesday night in the wake of an arctic cold front and stick around through Friday morning. The wind chill factor (what it will feel like) will have the greatest impact Wednesday night, falling to the 30’s all the way to Miami. Then on Thursday night and Friday morning, actual temperatures below freezing are possible as far south as Lake Okeechobee. It will be the first freeze for much of central and south Florida in over a year. All Floridians with agricultural interests and those sensitive to the extreme cold should consider taking action over the coming hours to prepare for the sub-freezing temperatures and wind chills. A plethora of advisories are in effect for nearly the entire state over the next two nights, detailed below.
TONIGHT:
- A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for the entire state, except for Monroe and Miami-Dade counties. Wind chills will range from the middle and upper teens near the I-10 corridor, to the 20’s for much of central Florida, to the 30’s all the way south to Naples and West Palm Beach.
- A Hard Freeze Warnings is in effect for the entire panhandle and much of north Florida (north of a Cedar Key to Jacksonville line). Overnight lows will range from near 20 degrees in far northwest Florida (near Pensacola) to the upper 20’s for the rest of the panhandle and much of North Florida.
- A Freeze Warning has been issued for most of the peninsula north of I-4. Lows near or just below freezing will be possible as far south as The Villages and rural locations just north of Tampa and Orlando.
THURSDAY NIGHT:
- A Freeze Watch has been issued for all inland areas as far south as Collier and Henry counties south of Lake Okeechobee. Low temperatures Friday morning between 29 and 32 are possible for most inland areas of south Florida in the watch area. Lows will be between 27 and 30 degrees for much of central Florida, including the metro areas of Tampa and Orlando.
- A Hard Freeze Watch has been issued for all of North Florida (north of I-4) Friday morning in anticipation of several hours with temperatures below 27 degrees, possibly as cold as the upper teens near and north of the I-10 corridor.
