Blast of cold air to leave Florida residents shivering
More than 10,000 flights across the U.S. were cancelled or delayed on Jan. 11, which marked the largest ground-stop in the country since 9/11.
Colder air swept across the southeastern United States to end the week. While temperatures are not likely to dip close to the extreme levels recorded around Christmas, there is some risk of frost damage in parts of Florida prior to the end of the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Temperatures during the brutally cold Arctic outbreak in late December plummeted into the single digits and teens over the southeast U.S. mainland and into the 20s and 30s over the Florida Peninsula. The outbreak led to reports of pipes bursting across the South.
Since then, temperatures have rebounded significantly and averaged 5-8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal across the Sunshine State.
However, a noticeable change occurred late Friday as chilly air arrived in the wake of a cold front.
Until early Saturday morning, nighttime temperatures had not dropped below the upper 50s in Miami nor below the mid-40s around Orlando since Dec. 28. That all changed in the wee hours of Saturday morning when temperatures dipped to levels not achieved since last year.
Some vacationers and snowbirds from the Northern states may think that cold air has followed them south.
The bulk of the cold air in the wake of the front will be felt through Saturday night with temperatures about 15-20 degrees below average. Typical highs during the middle of January range from the mid-60s in Jacksonville to the mid-70s in Miami.
"Nighttime temperatures will reach cold levels [once again on] Saturday night, with a frost and/or freeze in some places, mainly to the north of Interstate 4 with some exceptions farther to the south," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said.
Farther south, low temperatures around Tampa will bottom out about 10 degrees higher, when compared to the Arctic outbreak in December. Tampa had a high of 46 on Dec. 25 before temperatures dropped below freezing that night to 31 F.
"Miami will get down into the 40s Saturday night after spending all but a few hours of 2023 above 60 both day and night," Houk said.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures were in the 30s F across much of Florida early Saturday morning, January 14, 2023. (AccuWeather)
Despite the chill and likelihood of a frost and freeze in some areas, the cold outbreak should be manageable.
"Many farmers north of I-4 are going to have to take action to protect crops, such as strawberry plants," Houk said. A common way to protect sensitive crops is to spray water on the fields, which then freezes and offers some level of protection.
The cold air will not be a major threat to agriculture in the southern third of the state, where many of the remaining citrus groves are located, as air temperatures near the ground should stay above freezing, Houk said. In central portions of the state, mainly away from the immediate coasts and outside of the major cities, temperatures can dip to frosty levels for several hours Saturday night.
The anticipated temperatures may lead to some motionless iguanas in the southern and central parts of the state at night this weekend, and some iguanas may even fall from the trees as they have done in prior cold outbreaks. However, once temperatures rebound, the lizards will gain mobility, experts say.
Outbreak of cold air won't last long in Florida
"The chill will gradually melt away with the Florida sunshine starting on Sunday afternoon and more so on Monday and Tuesday," Houk said.
Residents and visitors in the Orlando and Tampa areas can expect highs to trend upward through the 60s on Sunday and Monday with afternoon temperatures in the 70s in store for Tuesday, forecasters say. Highs will be well into the 70s at Miami Beach on Monday and Tuesday.
The weather looks to be dry and comfortable for football with light winds Monday night for the NFC Wildcard Playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Houk added.
Temperatures during much of next week across Florida are likely to return to levels about 5-8 degrees above average, as was the case earlier in January.
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