Florida Weather

[AdamFirst]

We're expecting just below freezing temperatures here Tuesday night (31 Degrees)

Wasn't it in the 70s a couple days ago

[Sanibel]

About as cold as it gets here in winter now. Ft Myers is presently 46 degrees! To show what affect the Gulf has, we are 55 degrees. Clouds today, so no sun assist with temperature. Won't help our electric heating bill. This is expected all week!

[Extremeweatherguy]

I notice that the NWS in Melbourne is now calling for high temperatures only near 49-50F in Orlando today. That is quite impressive considering the average low for Orlando this time of year is 50F.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Highs will likely stay in the 40s across central FL today. The cloud cover is heavy.
I shudder (pun intended) to think how cold it will get if the clouds clear out
by sunset.

[psyclone]

the freeze and hard freeze warnings for the tampa cwa were a bust last night. every county except pinellas had one, even down to Lee. they would have been better off dumping the freeze warnings and downgrading the hard freeze warnings for the northern cwa to freeze warnings. even at 1 am (before any clouds rolled in) it was apparent the forecasted mins were not even going to be close to verifying... BKV was at a balmy 36 and the nearest sub freezing temp was at gainesville. then again, i can't recall the last time forecasted lows verified during a cold weather event... maybe they just can't do it or maybe forecasters fear the wrath of those with ag interests and just go with the low side of guidance. at any rate it is miserably cold out there and looks to stay that way.

[jinftl]

Can't say this too often....it is warmer in parts of Greenland according to TWC than parts of Florida....the same blocking pattern keeping the cold moving into florida, on the flip side, is causing temps 30+ deg above normal in parts of Greenland...with some areas in the 50s!


Temps have risen above 60 deg here in south florida (hot spot at 1pm was Fort Lauderdale at 62 deg). Want to warm up? Thank the Gulf Stream and take a dip. Current water temp off Miami Beach = 74 deg.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

45*F in Tampa and Saint Petersburg. That's 25 degrees below normal.

[Extremeweatherguy]

The Melbourne NWS has lowered the expected low temperatures for many cities over the next few days.

Here is a look at the latest forecast low temperatures for the next 4 nights...

**Freezing temperatures highlighted in blue
**Hard freezing temperatures highlighted in pink

Orlando - 29/32/27/31
Leesburg - 27/28/25/30
Melbourne - 32/30/28/31
Daytona Beach - 29/26/27/30
Sanford - 27/30/26/30
Deltona - 26/29/25/30

A lot of tropical plants will be damaged across the region if these numbers prove correct.

[gatorcane]

the freeze and hard freeze warnings for the tampa cwa were a bust last night. every county except pinellas had one, even down to Lee. they would have been better off dumping the freeze warnings and downgrading the hard freeze warnings for the northern cwa to freeze warnings. even at 1 am (before any clouds rolled in) it was apparent the forecasted mins were not even going to be close to verifying... BKV was at a balmy 36 and the nearest sub freezing temp was at gainesville. then again, i can't recall the last time forecasted lows verified during a cold weather event... maybe they just can't do it or maybe forecasters fear the wrath of those with ag interests and just go with the low side of guidance. at any rate it is miserably cold out there and looks to stay that way.

They didn't verify because of the high clouds that streamed from the GOM. If those clouds hang around tonight, then I wouldn't be too concerned. But as Tampa Bay Hurricane mentioned, if those clouds clear out tonight after keeping temps low all day across much of peninsula FL...then temps could be near of below freezing for alot of the peninsula. However, I do agree with you as far as cold temps verifying. Last night for example, here in West Palm Beach, forecasted low was 38F but it only dropped to 43F due to the high clouds that started streaming in late. I think the NWS feels compelled to make a type A error (remembering from my business school days)...that is where you basically make a prediction that leans on the side of being wrong.

[jinftl]

Don't see the high clouds clearing out any time soon....a very el nino type phenomenon with the high clouds streaming in from the southwest. Bottom line....although it is certainly cold by local standards, you are not going to get a widespread & damaging freeze event with cloudcover.


NWS Miami discusses the cloud cover and debates the necessity for an interior freeze warning. This cloudcover could keep the urban areas of Miami and Fort Lauderdale warmer than the forecast lows in the low 40's. Last nights temps stayed about 2-5 degrees warmer than forecast as late as last evening. We will see if this happens again.


FOR TONIGHT...TEMPERATURE AND
WIND CHILL FCST IS TRICKY DUE TO THESE HIGH CLOUDS. MODEL TIME
HEIGHTS AND SOUNDINGS ARE SUGGESTING A FAIRLY THICK AND POSSIBLY
OVERCAST LAYER OF HIGH CLOUDS FROM 15-25K FEET NOT CLEARING UNTIL
THE LAST FEW HOURS BEFORE SUNRISE. THIS COULD KEEP TEMPS A FEW
DEGREES WARMER THAN FCST...WHICH COULD THEREFORE PUT THE FREEZE
WARNING OR WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN JEOPARDY

the freeze and hard freeze warnings for the tampa cwa were a bust last night. every county except pinellas had one, even down to Lee. they would have been better off dumping the freeze warnings and downgrading the hard freeze warnings for the northern cwa to freeze warnings. even at 1 am (before any clouds rolled in) it was apparent the forecasted mins were not even going to be close to verifying... BKV was at a balmy 36 and the nearest sub freezing temp was at gainesville. then again, i can't recall the last time forecasted lows verified during a cold weather event... maybe they just can't do it or maybe forecasters fear the wrath of those with ag interests and just go with the low side of guidance. at any rate it is miserably cold out there and looks to stay that way.

They didn't verify because of the high clouds that streamed from the GOM. If those clouds hang around tonight, then I wouldn't be too concerned. But as Tampa Bay Hurricane mentioned, if those clouds clear out tonight after keeping temps low all day across much of peninsula FL...then temps could be near of below freezing for alot of the peninsula. However, I do agree with you as far as cold temps verifying. Last night for example, here in West Palm Beach, forecasted low was 38F but it only dropped to 43F due to the high clouds that started streaming in late. I think the NWS feels compelled to make a type A error (remembering from my business school days)...that is where you basically make a prediction that leans on the side of being wrong.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

NWS for NW Florida says a 20% of snow on Thursday:
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... &map.y=180

[gatorcane]

Freeze watch just cancelled for most of South FL due to the clouds. As jintfl mentioned, very typicaly of el nino to have this type of cloudiness associated with some cold arctic air which *usually* keeps peninsula FL from the big freeze events you would see more in a la nina type pattern.

LAST NIGHT...PATCHES OF CIRRUS MOVED
ACROSS AND THOUGH THICK BUT INTERMITTENT PREVENTED TEMPS FROM
DROPPING AS LOW AS ANTICIPATED. AS A RESULT...AND DUE TO THE
POTENTIAL FOR THICKER CLOUD COVER TONIGHT...HAVE CANCELLED THE
FREEZE WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR METRO PALM BEACH AND INLAND
MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php ... glossary=1

However, it looks like the clouds from the subtropical jet will move out late tonight and into tomorrow. With some more short-waves diving down around western side of the stacked low across the Canadian Maritimes, will need to watch a couple of nights early this week, most notably Wed. morning which may be the coldest with potentially clear skies and not as much wind around for mixing.

[psyclone]

i can't help but wonder if this extremely cold week is setting us up for a potentially damaging freeze next weekend when another push of cold air heads for the area. it seems florida is frequently bailed out of freeze threats thanks to relatively warm soil temps, and warm ocean and inland water temps. this week's weather will seriously erode that protection. it is only 43 at 4pm in tampa! if a cold high can settle close to us early next week, ensuring clear skies and good radiational cooling, the stage could be set for a more significant event. of course, we first have to shiver through this week which will include it's own share of freeze threats.

[AdamFirst]

47 Degrees outside with a brisk wind. Heavy dense overcast.

Projected low for tonight has fallen from 35 earlier this morning to 31. Expected to be in the 20s on Tuesday with wind chill values in the teens.

[JonathanBelles]

I never made it out of the 40's today, which is only (MAYBE) the 2nd time that has happened since I have lived in FL. 47 right now and overcast, and it feels great!!! Feels like being in NY.

[Sanibel]

Incredible. I've never seen an afternoon daylight temperature of 48* a half hour before dark! And under clouds, none the less, that should insulate the Gulf SST.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

High in Tampa was 45*F. Wow. That's colder than the January 24, 2003 blast which had a high of 47*F, but that day's low as 27*F.

[Extremeweatherguy]

High temperatures around the state of Florida today...

Pensacola - 45F
Tallahassee - 45F
Jacksonville - 42F
Ocala - 45F
Tampa - 45F
Orlando - 47F
Melbourne - 52F
Fort Myers - 52F
West Palm Beach - 61F
Miami - 61F
Key West - 60F

I always find it impressive when Key West sees a high that cool. It just seems odd to imagine wearing long sleeves and even a light jacket in a city that sits on the edge of the tropics.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Record Report
Statement as of 4:39 PM EST on January 3, 2010


... Record cool maximum temperature broken at Orlando today...

A record cool maximum temperature of 47 degrees was set at Orlando
today... January 3 2010. This breaks the old record of 49 set in 1979.

[gatorcane]

I'm outside on my patio tonight -- some raindrops starting to fall.

Will be interesting if those raindrops fall farther north in the state to see if there is any sleet/snow later.