Floridians Prepare for Weekend Cold Snap

Posted: January 13, 2023 11:35 am

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HOMESTEAD, FL - DECEMBER 15: Icicles hang from a bush as a farmer uses water in an effort to keep his crops from being damaged by freezing temperatures on December 15, 2010 in Homestead, Florida. South Florida is enduring a weather system that pushed the temperature into the 30s Fahrenheit. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

It is going to be a cold weekend in the Sunshine State and beyond as a mass of chilly air dips to the south in the coming days. Although the mercury is not expected to plunge into the territory that the region saw over the Christmas holiday, it may be cold enough to put much of Florida under the threat of frost damage. Read on for all of the details about this latest cold snap.

Florida to Experience Drastic Temperature Swing

After the bitter cold Christmas holiday, Florida rebounded with warmer temperatures to start the new year. In fact, the readings across the peninsula have averaged about 5 – 8 degrees above normal over the last few weeks. Overnight lows have also been unseasonably warm since the last freeze.

That is all about to change as a new blast of cold air creeps down into the state, disappointing snowbirds and vacationers who like to escape to Florida for its warmth this time of the year. The cold temperatures will come at the hands of a new front moving southward by Friday. While this front will not bring in significant amounts of moisture, there is the chance of a stray thunderstorm in many areas of Florida on Friday in advance of the cooler temperatures.

Miami may see a few storms pop up on Friday afternoon, capable of bringing heavy rain. It has been an especially dry start to the year for this South Florida hot spot with no measurable rain yet.

Timing of Cold Air Arrival

Most of the cold air will filter in on Friday and Saturday, bringing temperatures down to 15 – 20 degrees below average for the middle of January. The overnight hours on Friday and Saturday will be especially cold, ushering in a chance of a frost or freeze for areas north of Interstate 4. Saturday night is likely to be a bit colder than Friday night with a slight rebound in temperatures by Sunday.

Breezy conditions will also bring the real feel temperature down even further. Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing across the majority of the panhandle and in the northern counties of the state.

It will also be unseasonably cold in the southern and central portions of Florida. For instance, the high in Tampa on Saturday is only forecast to top out at about 52 degrees. Overnight lows on Saturday night will fall into the upper 30s, however, they are not predicted to hit the freezing mark.

Theme park goers in Orlando will want to bundle up on Saturday with a forecast high in the low 50s. The silver lining is that conditions will be dry with mostly sunny skies on tap. This abundance of sunshine should help to make it feel slightly warmer during the peak afternoon heating hours.

Farther south, Miami is forecast to drop to about 50 degrees in the overnight hours Friday with the mercury plunging into the 40s on Saturday night. The Saturday high of 62 degrees will be a sharp contrast to the Friday high of 80 degrees.

The blast of cold air will necessitate that farmers in the northern half of the state be proactive about protecting plants and sensitive crops. At this time, it would appear as if the southern third of the peninsula should escape any risks to agricultural interests.

There is also the chance that the cold may be enough to trigger the infamous falling iguanas that happen when these lizards are paralyzed by the elements.

How Long Will the Cold Stick Around?

Temperatures will begin to rebound on Sunday with more seasonable weather in store for the start of the week. For example, Miami can expect to be back in the 70s by Monday with the mercury cracking the 80-degree mark on Thursday. Temperatures across the state are predicted to trend about 5 – 8 degrees above normal by next weekend.

Those headed out to the highly anticipated NFC Wildcard Playoff game pitting the Dallas Cowboys against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night will welcome the dry weather. With a high in the upper 60s, the temperature will likely hover in the low 60s or upper 50s around kickoff time.

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