For the second straight day, South Florida is putting on that extra layer of clothes and grabbing a hot beverage in an effort to stay warm from a cold front that kept temperatures below 40 degrees in some areas.
While less wind did not make it feel as cold as Thursday, temps in the mid 40s greeted almost the entire area - including 44 in Fort Lauderdale while Miami was the "hot" spot at 48 degrees - with feels like temperatures in the upper 30s for portions of western Broward County.
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Temperatures for the entire area were in the low to mid 40s Thursday morning - including 39 degrees in Fort Lauderdale, the lowest recorded temperature since December 2010, and Miami reaching 44 degrees for the coldest readings since February 20, 2015.
"The temperature dropped from like 77 to 50-something by midday. I actually had to send the guys home because it was too cold and it was raining," said Eros Escobar, a construction site supervisor in Miami, on Thursday as temps began to dip. "As far as getting ready, no one really has winter clothes. They go out and buy some things and then they come to work like normal."
Boaters are advised to stay out of the water with a high risk of dangerous rip currents through Sunday and a Small Craft Advisory remaining in effect for the area.
Miami-Dade and Broward County officials are keeping their residents safe as Broward declared a multi-night cold weather emergency from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Saturday.
The county has also opened three locations for pick-up or shelter for homeless residents during that time.
- Pompano Beach City Hall (100 West Atlantic Blvd. PICKUP ONLY)
- Salvation Army Fort Lauderdale (1445 West Broward Blvd. PICKUP AND SHELTER)
- Broward Outreach Center Hollywood (2056 Scott Street SHELTER ONLY)
- Central Homeless Assistance Center (920 NW 7th Avenue SHELTER ONLY)
- North Homeless Assistance Center (1700 Blount Road SHELTER ONLY)
County officials say hours and dates that locations will be open could be extended or reduced due to weather conditions. For more information, call 954-563-4357.
Miami-Dade officials have not announced the opening of any shelters at this time, but are reminding residents to avoid accidents inside their home while attempting to keep warm, including:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Temperatures are expected to rise throughout the weekend, reaching the 70s for a high by Sunday.
