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    • Freeze warnings issued for Florida as cold front brings freezing temperatures
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    Freeze warnings issued for Florida as cold front brings freezing temperatures

    Pabio Posted on

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    Freeze warningMeasures are in effect across North Florida and Northeast Florida’s Suwannee Valley from Saturday night through Sunday morning, with temperatures as low as 28 expected, according to the National Weather Service.

    Subfreezing temperatures in the 20s are possible for Northeast Florida and much of the Panhandle and Big Bend, the weather service said in its forecast.

    A surface high is forecast to move into central Alabama Saturday night into Sunday morning, which should bring calmer winds. This, combined with generally clear skies, means temperatures drop to between 20 and 30 degrees away from the coast.

    A second cold front from the Atlantic Ocean is expected to pass through the state on Sunday, reinforcing frigid temperatures.

    ➤ Does it snow in Florida? Sometimes

    Young children, the elderly and the homeless are particularly vulnerable to the cold. Take steps to protect them, the weather service warned.

    Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that tender vegetation and outdoor pets have adequate protection from cold temperatures.

    Freezing and freezing conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

    How cold will it be in Florida tonight? How low will the temperature be?

    Temperature forecast Saturday evening/Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service:

    • Saturday night temperatures in Northeast Florida, including Duval and St. Johns counties, are expected to drop into the 40s.
    • Farther down the East Coast in Volusia County, nighttime temperatures are expected to be around the 40s.
    • Parts of South Florida, including Palm Beach and Brevard and St. Lucie counties, will see temperatures drop to between 50 and 60 degrees.
    • In Southwest Florida – including Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties – temperatures are expected to bottom out in the low to mid 50s.
    • The Tampa Bay area is expected to see temperatures in the 50s, with areas north of Tampa falling into the 30s.
    • Much of Big Bend and the Panhandle are under a freezing watch and temperatures are expected to drop to the 20s to 30s.

    Will the start of December bring snow to Florida?

    Don’t count on it. It will be cold (for us) and you should pay attention to those frost warnings and frost advisories, but dry air follows these cold fronts.

    “Right now, there is no chance of snow here through the holiday weekend and into the first week of December,” David Reese, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, said during a telephone interview Wednesday morning.

    “Really dry air is moving in behind the fronts. There will be some moisture as the front passes through, causing rain showers Friday morning, but cold air won’t arrive until later.”

    The same conditions are expected in the western Panhandle and northeast Florida: cold but dry and clear, with no snow expected.

    “Our little corner of Florida is not expecting snow. After the front passes, it will be dry in northwest Florida,” said Steve Miller, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Mobile.

    “It will be mostly dry and windy, with frost possible inland Saturday and Sunday” in northern Florida, said Angie Enyedi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jacksonville.

    “Monday night looks to be the coldest night, with frost as far east as Duval County. Some locations may reach hard freeze criteria of 28 degrees, but the weather will remain dry and clear,” she said.

    Has it ever snowed in Florida?

    Yes, it is. Even if snow does not fall every year, it nevertheless appears, to the delight of the inhabitants.

    The first documented account of snow in Florida was reported in 1774according to the Florida Climate Center.

    “Since 1886, it has been more than 80 months since at least a trace of snow has been reported anywhere in the state,” the Climate Center reported.

    How far south did it snow in Florida?

    Miami beach. Really.

    On On January 19, 1977, snow fell in South Florida for the first time in history, according to the National Weather Service.

    Snow was seen in Southeast Florida, all the way to Homestead and even Miami Beach. Weather watchers also reported snow in West Palm Beach, LaBelle, Hollywood and Royal Palm Ranger Station in southern Miami-Dade County.

    “Residents and visitors were both surprised and excited by this rare phenomenon, and local newspapers ran headlines almost as big as those of major national or world events,” the weather service reported.

    Every reporting station in north and central Florida recorded at least a trace of snow, according to the weather service.

    Tampa measured 0.20 inches, and Plant City, east of Tampa, measured up to 2 inches.

    Will iguanas fall from trees during Florida’s cold snap?

    It depends on how cold it is in the areas where iguanas thrive in Florida.

    Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said iguanas may become immobilized or sluggish when temperatures reach between 40 and 50 degrees.

    Because they tend to climb trees, paralyzed iguanas can lose their grip and fall in very cold weather. This condition is temporary and they will become active as they warm up.

    Current forecasts call for temperatures that could drop into the low 50s Sunday and Monday night and potentially impact some iguana populations, particularly in Collier and Lee counties.

    Where do iguanas live in Florida?

    Green iguana populations extend along the Atlantic Coast in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties and along the Gulf Coast in Collier and Lee counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    Although they have been spotted in counties as far north as Alachua, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River and St. Lucie, it is more likely that they escaped or were released from captivity. Because the reptiles are not cold hardy, iguanas in these counties “are unlikely to establish populations,” the FWC said.

    Pabio
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