Florida Braces for a Freeze Frame
Temps to dip near freezing in the state
AP
Sarah Councill, second from right, huddles with her friends before they go into the freezing waters of the Chesapeake bay Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 during the Annual Polar Bear Plunge, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/The Baltimore Sun, Monica Lopossay) **WASHINGTON & BALTIMORE EXAMINER OUT**
That Christmas sweater is starting to look the like the best gift ever in Miami.
It took months to get here, and many in South Florida were wondering when would we finally experience our first real cold snap of the season. But after a few nights with temperatures solidly in the 40s, South Floridians are starting to long for the mild winter weather they're accustomed to.
Temperatures have dropped to below 50 degrees for three consecutive mornings over almost all of South Florida. The latest forecast calls for lows to drop below 45 degrees through Thursday morning. This would give six consecutive days of sub-50 degree temperatures.
The last time we had at least 6 consecutive days of low temperatures below 50 degrees in southeast Florida was in January 2001. The record is 13 days in Miami (January - February 1940) and 12 days in Fort Lauderdale in January 1956.
It is not unheard of to have freezing or near-freezing temperatures in south Florida each winter. Temperatures drop to at least 35 degrees about every two years in the outlying areas of southeast Florida.
But in Miami, temps get that low two or three times a decade and almost never does it last this long.
So no bathing suits for a while, but have no fear. Groundhog Day is just around the corner.
Let’s hope that rodent tells us this winter weather will be short lived and sunny times are on the way again.
Posted Monday, Jan 4, 2010 - 4:41 PM EST
