Florida braces for coldest conditions in decades
It will be cold enough to require winter clothing, have iguanas dropping from trees and farmers holding their breath for damage in the citrus groves in Florida into Monday.
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A powerful cold blast is set to send iguanas tumbling from trees in South Florida while driving hard freezes deep into the orange groves, forcing millions across the Sunshine State to bundle up.
Temperatures started to plummet this past weekend to levels not observed or experienced since 2010, 1989, 1977 and 1966. Freezes during those years helped transform and shift the Florida groves that were introduced in the 1500s and then expanded for commercial purposes in the 1800s. The freeze, scheduled through early this week, will be damaging to the citrus industry.
Low temperatures in the mid-20s occurred across Orlando Sunday morning and are forecast to dip into the 20s Monday morning. The last time they were in this temperature territory was in 2010. To put the cold in long historical perspective, the all-time observed record low for any date in Orlando is 19 degrees Fahrenheit, set in 1985 and 1895.
Low temperatures Sunday morning started the deep freeze. The temperature in Melbourne, Florida, dropped to 25, breaking the old record of 27 from 1967 to become the lowest temperature recorded in February.
In Miami, temperatures dipped down to 35 Sunday morning, and are forecast to be just as cold early Monday. Temperatures last reached this level in 2010 as well. The all-time record low at Miami is Feb. 29, 1899.
"Green iguanas are sensitive to the cold and can become stunned when temperatures fall into the 40s and 30s," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "When that happens, they may lose their grip and fall from the trees. It's a fairly unique cold-weather condition in Florida."
"Not only will temperatures be low, but the wind will be harsh during part of this outbreak," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said. The result will be a hard freeze.
The combination of temperature, wind, and other factors will cause AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to dip by 15-30 degrees below the actual temperature at times through Sunday evening.
Winds will settle down by Sunday night. That will set the stage for calm and cold conditions on Monday morning with widespread frost.
Heating systems may struggle to keep up with conditions this severe, and people trying to keep their energy costs low during the winter months to compensate for warm-season energy bills may have to turn up the thermostat.
In Florida, Monday morning should be the final day of the most extreme cold. However, daily record-low temperatures could still be challenged in Florida and elsewhere across the southeastern United States on Tuesday morning.
A dramatic warmup is forecast Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures likely to remain above freezing across the Florida Peninsula for the remainder of the week.
Gulf-effect snow in Tampa, Florida
Along the West Coast of the Florida Peninsula, cold air rushed over warm Gulf waters Saturday night, causing brief snow flurries around Tampa, Florida. Snowflakes melted immediately upon contact with roads and sidewalks.
"Snow flurries in Tampa Bay are exceptionally rare, with only one confirmed measurable snowfall and just a handful of reports of flurries over the past century," Buckingham said.
Jacksonville, Melbourne and Tallahassee, Florida, were among other cities that reported flurries on Saturday.
Freeze damage to citrus groves is anticipated
Damage to citrus fruit begins at 28 degrees and is dependent on the duration of the cold and the thickness of the rind, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Light frosts or short freezes can help boost the fruit's sugar content. Leaf damage of the citrus trees begins at around 24 degrees for non-acclimated foliage.
"The majority of citrus groves are well south and east of Orlando, due to various seasons in the past with damaging frosts and freezes," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. "In the citrus grove regions, we have calculated a 95% chance of temperatures dipping to 27 degrees or less and a 90% chance of temperatures dipping to 25 degrees or less during the Arctic outbreak through early this week."
Ice covered a grove of young orange trees after an overnight freeze at Showcase Citrus groves in Clermont, Fla., Monday, Jan. 11, 2010. The young trees were sprayed with water overnight to help insulate them from the cold. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
At this point in the winter, some varieties of oranges, tangelos and grapefruit are at various late stages of maturity and are being harvested or nearing the end of their harvest season. In addition to frosts and freezes this winter, of which this past weekend will be the most severe, the citrus industry has been battling disease and damage from recent hurricanes.
The setup still looks chilly through at least mid-February and perhaps much of the month. AccuWeather's long-range team is monitoring a potential polar vortex disruption in early February that can give an extra boost to the cold in the eastern United States in the weeks that follow.
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"A second push of Arctic air can arrive between Feb. 9-11," Pastelok warned. "At this early stage, we estimate a 10% chance that temperatures fall to 27 degrees or lower in Orlando or Tampa. In the citrus crop areas, there is a 15% chance for 27 degrees or lower."
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