Citrus farmers in Clermont prepare for hard freeze in Florida
RIGHT NOW@WESH.COM. AND IT IS NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO STAY WARM. OUR CITRUS FARMERS ARE ALSO WORKING FAST TO PROTECT THEIR CROPS FROM THE HARD FREEZE. MOST CITRUS TREES CANNOT TOLERATE TEMPERATURES BELOW 30 AND THEY NEED PROTECTION BELOW 36 DEGREES. WESH TWO JUSTIN SCHECKER IS LIVE IN CLERMONT TONIGHT. JUSTIN, HOW ARE FARMERS THERE PREPARING? HEY, LINDSAY. GOOD EVENING. YEAH, WE’RE HERE AT THE SHOWCASE OF CITRUS. THEY’RE ALSO TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXOTIC ANIMALS THAT CAN’T HANDLE THE COLD. BEHIND ME IS A SHED OVER IN THE DISTANCE THAT IS HEATED AT 85 DEGREES. AND INSIDE, I SAW THEY HAVE AN AMAZON PARROT, BABY GOATS AND LEMURS THAT WILL SPEND THE NIGHT AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP HERE IN LAKE COUNTY. AND WE ALSO CHECKED OUT THEIR ORANGE GROVES A FEW YEARS BACK. THIS FARM WAS HIT HARD BY HAIL THAT DID DAMAGE WITH THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST TO STAY ABOVE 32 DEGREES HERE IN LAKE COUNTY. THEY’RE NOT PLANNING TO USE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO PROTECT THE ORANGE GROVES. THEY’RE HOLDING THEIR BREATH THAT IT DOESN’T GET BELOW THE FREEZING MARK TONIGHT. FINGERS CROSSED. RIGHT NOW IT’S SHOWING THAT WE SHOULD GET DOWN TO ABOUT 33, AND THE WIND IS GOING TO BE STEADY. THAT HELPS US A LOT. WE’RE NOT IN OUR PANIC MODE YET. WE WE WILL START PANICKING IF IT’S, YOU KNOW, 30, 30 FOR A FEW HOURS AND ANYTHING BELOW THAT, THEN WE REALLY THEN WE START TO SET EVERYTHING UP. AND SHOWCASE OF CITRUS HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE 1989. SO THEY ARE CERTAINLY EXPERIENCED WITH PROTECTING BOTH THE EXOTIC ANIMALS IN THEIR ORANGE GROVES. WHEN THE TEMPERATURES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA FLIRT WITH THE FREEZING MARK COVERING. LAKE COUNTY LIVE IN CLERMONT. I’M JUSTIN SCHECKER, WESH TWO NEWS. AND OF COURSE, STAY PREPARED FOR THE BLAST OF COLD BY DOWNLOADING THE FREE WESH TWO NEWS APP AND TURNING ON SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS. CENTRAL FLORIDA’S MOST ACCURATE FORECAST RIGHT IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. WE ALSO HA
Citrus farmers in Clermont prepare for hard freeze in Florida
Updated: 8:23 PM EST Jan 15, 2026
Citrus farmers in Clermont are taking swift action to protect their crops and exotic animals as central Florida faces near-freezing temperatures.The staff at Showcase of Citrus, which has been open since 1989, is taking precautions to shield its exotic animals from the cold.A heated shed, maintained at 85 degrees, houses an Amazon parrot, baby goats, and lemurs to ensure their safety as temperatures drop in Lake County.Most citrus trees cannot tolerate temperatures below 30 degrees and need protection when temperatures fall below 36 degrees.
CLERMONT, Fla. —
Citrus farmers in Clermont are taking swift action to protect their crops and exotic animals as central Florida faces near-freezing temperatures.
The staff at Showcase of Citrus, which has been open since 1989, is taking precautions to shield its exotic animals from the cold.
A heated shed, maintained at 85 degrees, houses an Amazon parrot, baby goats, and lemurs to ensure their safety as temperatures drop in Lake County.
Most citrus trees cannot tolerate temperatures below 30 degrees and need protection when temperatures fall below 36 degrees.