Warming Shelters Open as Florida Experiences Coldest Weather

Introduction to the Cold Snap

ORLANDO (AP) — Tourists bundled up, warming shelters for the homeless opened and growers sprayed crops with water to create protective ice for their plants Friday as sunny Florida shivered through the coldest weather that parts of the state have experienced in more than three years.

The 19 degree Fahrenheit temperature overnight at Tallahassee International Airport may have made the Sunshine State feel like Green Bay, Wisconsin, but it stopped short of the record 16 F almost a century ago, according to Mark Wool, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.

The Unusual Cold Weather

“It’s cold, but it’s not all that unusual to have cold weather this time of the year,” Wool said Friday.
There was even more un-Florida-like weather predicted for the weekend with the National Weather Service putting the chances for snow in the Panhandle early Sunday at between 20% and 30%. The snow was predicted to be less than an inch in the western Panhandle but not expected to impact travel because of a short duration and an expected quick rise in temperatures afterward, Wool said.
That would make it a far cry from the 5 inches of snow that fell on Pensacola almost exactly a year ago.
“The reasonably worst-case scenario is an inch since the window is only two or three hours,” Wool said of Sunday’s forecast. “But all of that will melt away when it warms up.”

Preparations and Impact

City employee Claudius Morame uses a steam brush to clean the sidewalk on a chilly morning at Atlantic Avenue and North Ocean Boulevard in Pompano Beach. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Temperatures on Saturday were expected to warm up to more Sunshine State-like weather before dipping again Sunday and Monday. The thermometer was expected to be a cool-for-Miami mid-50s F during Monday night’s college football championship game between Indiana and Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The central part of Florida on Friday experienced some of the coldest weather it has seen in more than three years as lows dipped to the mid-20s F, according to the National Weather Service.

Agricultural Precautions

In the theme park hub of Orlando, where the thermometer fell to right at freezing overnight, water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World were closed Friday. The water park also planned to be closed at the beginning of next week because of the predicted frigid weather, Disney said in an email.
In Plant City, which bills itself as the winter strawberry capital of the world, growers used sprinklers to spray strawberry plants and ornamental plants with water that formed a protective ice as the overnight temperature went as low as 28 F. The ice kept the plants’ temperatures from going below freezing. Plant City is about 20 miles east of Tampa.
In northeast Florida, potato growers covered their crops with extra soil to protect against the freezing weather.
There were no widespread problems reported with any crops in Florida, said Christina Morton, director of communications for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, a growers’ trade association.
“Florida is well into its winter season for fruit and vegetables, so the timing for this cold snap was not ideal,” Morton said in an email. “The good news is things warmed up quickly this morning, and despite the wintry conditions, harvesting continued across much of the state today.”

Conclusion

The cold snap in Florida, although unusual, has seen the state’s residents and visitors adapt to the chilly conditions. With warming shelters open for the homeless and agricultural precautions in place, the state is managing the cold weather. As temperatures are expected to rise, the impact of the cold snap is anticipated to be minimal.

FAQs

• Q: How cold did it get in Florida?
  A: The temperature overnight at Tallahassee International Airport dropped to 19 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Q: Is snow expected in Florida?
  A: Yes, there is a 20% to 30% chance of snow in the Panhandle early Sunday, but it is expected to be less than an inch and not impact travel.
• Q: How are growers protecting their crops?
  A: Growers are using sprinklers to spray crops with water, creating a protective ice, and covering crops with extra soil to protect against the freezing weather.
• Q: Were there any widespread problems reported with crops?
  A: No, there were no widespread problems reported with any crops in Florida.