Florida braces for a burst of winter cold even as the rest of the country deals with a broader storm setup, according to meteorologists and health experts. The National Weather Service forecasts below-freezing overnight temperatures for much of the state, and forecasters said the Tampa Bay area could see snowflakes this weekend for the first time in years, though they do not expect measurable accumulations.
Ana Torres-Vazquez, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Miami, said a cold front that moved through earlier in the week has already pushed temperatures down. She said the region could experience record-setting, freezing temperatures this weekend and urged residents to prepare accordingly, including layering up and limiting time outside.
Dr. David Nestler, with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, said that frostbite and hypothermia—both dangers that he said are not always top-of-mind for Floridians—become concerns when temperatures fall that far. He described the cold as a health hazard that can affect people who are not acclimated to winter conditions.
In the Tampa Bay area, Tony Hurt, a National Weather Service forecaster, said there is a small chance of snowfall and flurries this weekend, but no accumulations. Hurt pointed to past instances when the region saw snow or flurries, including flurries in January 2010 and December 1989, and a record 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow that fell in January 1977 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Tampa.
Even with the winter-weather preparations, some major planned events were still expected to proceed. Tampa is set to host its annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest on Saturday, and on Sunday the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins are scheduled to play an outdoor NHL game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ NFL stadium.
Zoo Miami said it has begun steps to reduce the impact of the cold on animals, according to Ron Magill, a spokesman for the zoo. Magill said keepers have been setting up heaters and moving reptiles and smaller mammals indoors, while primates such as chimpanzees and orangutans receive blankets, as colder nights move into the region.
Magill said Florida’s native wildlife has adapted to cold snaps, but some casualties still occur. He said manatees have spent decades congregating at the warm-water outflows of about a dozen power plants, while nonnative invasive animals like iguanas and other exotic reptiles are expected to suffer more in extreme cold.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday at a news conference in Vero Beach that residents could see significant harm to iguanas once temperatures fall, including “iguanas falling from trees.” He said it would occur when temperatures drop “under 40 degrees,” and he pointed to forecast lows in the 20s and 30s.
For farmers, the cold has focused attention on crop-protection methods as winter harvest continues and spring planting approaches. Christina Morton, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said farmers are working to safeguard their crops during the winter harvest and the start of spring planting, and she highlighted how freezing conditions can threaten produce.
Trevor Murphy, who has groves in the interior of the state, said temperatures below 28 F (minus 2.2 C) for more than four hours can cause damage. Murphy said he planned to turn on irrigation when the thermometer hits just above freezing to create a protective layer of ice on the trees and to use fog to help warm the groves as the cold arrives.
Robert Moehling Jr., whose family has grown tropical fruit for generations in south Miami-Dade County, said the same protective strategy can also carry risks. He said that in his family’s experience over 66 years farming avocados, mangoes and jackfruit, leaving water running can increase the chance of killing some crops and that growers must balance protection against the potential for damage from excess water.
Elsewhere, an arctic blast from Canada is spreading south and leaving thousands of people without power to heat their homes, the report said. A new storm expected to churn along the East Coast prompted preparations in mid-Atlantic states for possible blizzard conditions, while National Weather Service forecasters said temperatures in hard-hit northern Mississippi could feel as cold as minus 5 F (minus 21 C) when winds are factored in.