Record cold, bitter wind chills and even some snow flurries ended January and started February for Central Florida overnight Saturday and early Sunday morning.
Sanford, Daytona Beach and Melbourne broke their all-time record lows for February, the National Weather Service in Melbourne reported. Sanford’s 23 degrees broke its record of 25 set in 1958, and the 23 in Daytona broke its record-low of 24 also set in 1958. Melbourne’s 25 degrees broke its 1967 record of 27.
Leesburg’s low of 23 degrees tied its all-time February record, set in 1967.
Orlando’s low temperature of 24 degrees broke the record for coldest Feb. 1, set in 1936, when it dropped to 28 degrees. Fortunately, Orlando’s overnight temp did not come close to its all-time record low for February, which was 19 set back on Feb. 7, 1895.
Record low temperatures in Central Florida on Sunday. (NWS Melbourne)
Record-setting or not, Saturday night and Sunday morning felt so-un-FFFFFlorida cold.
Blustery winds sent wind-chill temperatures into the single digits and low teens across the region, the NWS said.
Longwood was the coldest spot in Central Florida for wind-chill temperature, dropping to 7 degrees. Sanford-International Airport recorded 10 degrees with its wind chill, followed by Geneva at 11 and Winter Springs at 12.
Jameson Thomas, 11, walks carefully through a frozen field of blueberries at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from freezing temperatures. Jameson is the son of an employee at the farm. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Kyle Hill checks on frozen blueberry plants at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Water droplets from a sprinkler fall on a strawberry at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Blueberry plants are covered in ice, with the temperature at 23 degrees, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Icicles hang from a sign as the sun rises, with the temperature at 23 degrees, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Olivia Clark walks carefully among frozen strawberry plants, with the temperature at 23 degrees, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. Clark is the operations director for the farm. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Sprinklers spray water on blueberry plants at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Sprinklers spray water on blueberry plants as the sun rises at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Icicles hang over a field of frozen strawberries as sprinklers run in the background at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
A strawberry is encased in ice at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Sprinlers shower strawberry plants at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Water is sprayed on a strawberry field, with the temperature at 23 degrees, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from the freezing temperatures. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
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Jameson Thomas, 11, walks carefully through a frozen field of blueberries at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Farmworkers worked throughout the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other plants to “shield” the fruit from freezing temperatures. Jameson is the son of an employee at the farm. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
In Orange County, Reedy Lake and Lake Buena Vista had wind-chill temps of 11 degrees. Apopka and Winter Garden fell to 12 degrees, and Orlando and Windermere recorded 13-degree wind chills.
In Lake County, Leesburg’s wind chill fell to 11 degrees, followed by Mount Dora with 12, Clermont with 13 and Astor with 14.
Kissimmee and Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County reached a wind chill of 12, with St. Cloud at 13 and Holopaw at 16.
UCF stands for “U Can Freeze” as the university’s icon reflecting pond in front of its administration and library building froze overnight because of the record cold temperature in Orlando. (Roger Simmons/Orlando Sentinel)
The wind was relentless overnight and powerful. Gusts of 50 mph or more were recorded along the coast at Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Oak Hill and Playalinda Beach, the weather service said. Orlando International reported a gust of 49 mph at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Sanford-Orlando International Airport had one at 48 and Maitland had one at 41 mph on Sunday.
SNOW IN FLORIDA: Check it out, snow flurries in Oviedo, Florida last night. Thanks for the video: Jessica Pastran pic.twitter.com/T1Z6thh3lI
— Meilin Tompkins (@meilintompkins) January 2, 2018
The frigid temperatures along with a little moisture in the atmosphere allowed for very brief snow flurries in some spots of Central Florida. People on social media reported flurries in Oviedo, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach and Ormond Beach.
@TTerryWFTV @TMainolfiWESH Ormond Beach , 8pm. Wimpy but still flurries ! pic.twitter.com/RUYeUGoHFn
— Mark (@wrkout76) February 1, 2026
It will continue to be very cold across Central Florida on Sunday, with no location expected to be warmer than the mid to upper 40s, the weather service said.
An extreme cold warning was in effect for all of Central Florida until 10 a.m. Sunday morning, with a new warning taking effect from 7 o’clock Sunday night until 10 a.m. on Monday. Temperatures were again expected to drop below freezing, from 22 to 30 degrees, with wind chills making it feel like 9 to 21 degrees, the NWS said.
NWS Melbourne weather forecast