ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State is feeling the chill as a powerful cold front sweeps across the East Coast, bringing the first major cold snap of the season to Florida.
A surge of Arctic air pushed across much of the U.S. on Monday, bringing snow to some regions and sharply lower temperatures in Florida — though it’s unclear if it will get cold enough for iguanas to fall from trees.
Freeze warnings issued for northern counties
Local perspective:
Forecasters said the frigid air mass will sweep through the eastern two-thirds of the country, threatening record lows in the Southeast, including Florida, where temperatures were near 80 degrees just a day earlier.
Meteorologists say the coldest temperatures will hit north of Orlando, where a freeze warning is in effect for Marion and Alachua counties. In Ocala, lows are expected to reach around 31 degrees, while areas closer to Orlando will stay a few degrees warmer.
“It’s going to be a really cold night here in Central Florida,” said FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist TJ Springer, reporting from Ocala. “It’s not a hard freeze, but folks should cover their tropical plants just to be safe.”
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At Garden Spot Nursery in Ocala, staff worked through the day to protect plants from frost. “Even though it’s a soft freeze, I still cover all the plants that have flowers on them,” said nursery owner Anita Hard. “Wrap trunks with a frost blanket or something similar to protect them overnight.”
Local residents expressed mixed reactions to the cold. “I’m from Minnesota, so this feels great,” one Orlando resident said. “It’s nice to get a little taste of winter.”
Growers harvesting crops ahead of freeze
Growers of peppers, eggplants, squash and leafy greens in north Florida on Monday were harvesting as much as they could and preparing irrigation lines just in case they were needed for spraying crops to help them retain warmth.
South Florida, where most of Florida’s winter fruits and vegetables are grown, was expected to be spared any freeze based on the current forecast. Citrus, Florida’s best-known crop, also was expected to avert a hit since citrus trees typically sustain damage only when the thermometer drops below 28 degrees.
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“The freezing temperatures are likely to miss our major growing regions for fruits and vegetables,” said Christina Morton, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
As long as the temperature stays above freezing, some Florida crops such as strawberries grown in the Tampa area could benefit since the cool weather enhances sweetness and quality, Morton said.
“These colder temperatures are good for the needed chill hours to boost production,” she said.
Warming shelters openÂ
With temperatures expected to hit near-freezing in several counties, local shelters are opening their doors to those in need.
In Orange County, nonprofit Matthew’s Hope opened a cold-weather shelter for homeless men, women and children at 4 p.m. Monday. The group is providing transportation, warm clothing, food, and bedding, and is accepting donations at its Winter Garden facility.
In Lake County, LifePointe Church opened its shelter at 5 p.m., while The Bridge in DeLand and The Sheltering Tree in Bunnell will operate as cold-weather shelters through at least Tuesday night. Osceola County officials said three shelters would open there, with free transportation available to each location.
You can read more about shelter locations and hours here.
Even the animals are feeling it
During previous cold periods, iguanas, an invasive reptile species commonly found in South Florida, have gone into a sort of suspended animation and fallen to the ground when the temperatures dip below 40 degrees. They usually wake up with the sun’s warmth.
Iguanas typically become sluggish when the temperatures fall below 50 degrees, which is forecast as far south as Palm Beach and Broward counties.Â
At Wild Florida, an animal attraction in Osceola County, staff scrambled to keep wildlife comfortable as the cold set in. Heated pools, blankets, and space heaters were set up for the animals — earlier than ever in recent years.
“This has been the earliest it’s been in years. It’s insane!” said Taylor Manross, animal care assistant manager. “The animals seem a little confused, but I think they’re happier and more active now that it’s nice and cool.”
Wild Florida will remain open Tuesday despite the chill.
Central Florida water parks closeÂ
Water parks in Central Florida are closing because of cold weather moving into the area.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Universal’s Volcano Bay and SeaWorld’s Aquatica water parks will be closed briefly this week.
You can read more about water park closures here.
How long will the cold air stick around?
What To Expect:
The coldest air of the season so far arrives Monday night. This is when temperatures will plunge into the 30s. The coldest of the temperatures will take place just before sunrise on Tuesday morning — around 6 to 7 a.m.Â
The areas where it will be the coldest will be Marion County (Ocala) and Northern Sumter County (The Villages) where temperatures could actually dip down to or below the freezing mark, which is 31 to 32 degrees. Marion County is under a Freeze Warning from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. The rest of Central Florida is under a Cold Weather Advisory from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. The entire region will see gusty winds up to 30 mph, which will mean wind chills in the 20s and 30s
Looking Ahead:
Weather whiplash continues this week across Central Florida. Afternoon highs on Tuesday won’t make it out of the 50s. Orlando’s high temperature of 57 degrees will be around 22 degrees below our average high of 79 degrees.Â
Orlando Weather Forecast: Near-record cold to slam Florida
A cold front arrives in Orlando and Central Florida on Monday, bringing with it arctic air that will drop temperatures to potentially near-freezing or below breezing in some spots for the next 48 hours. A cold weather advisory has been issued for much of Orlando and Central Florida. A freeze watch or freeze warning has been issued for spots northwest of Orlando, specifically the Gainesville area. FOX 35 meteorologist Noah Bergren has a look at how cold temperatures will get and how long the frigid temperatures will be around.
Thankfully, the cold snap won’t last too long as temperatures will rebound steadily throughout the rest of this week. Wednesday’s temperatures will still remain cool, with lows starting the day in the 30s and 40s before climbing into the upper 60s and low 70s for highs.Â
The warming trend will carry into the weekend, with gorgeous weather starting Thursday and Friday with temperatures peaking around the mid 70s and then the low 80s for Saturday and Sunday. Sunshine will be plentiful between now and then with clear skies overhead.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the National Weather Service, reporting by the Associated Press and FOX 35 staff.