60 replies to this topic

[cfkingfish]

I got up a little earlier this morning and looked at Wunderground, this is what I saw.

http://www.wundergro...&pin=Venice, FL

I did not know how to save the page, but at 445am, it was 60F in Venice, and the Suncoast from Bradenton to Sanibel Island were all sitting between 57-62F. Oddly enough it was around 50F in Tampa, 48F in Naples, upper 30s to low 40s everywhere inland and south of Orlando, and mostly low 50s from West Palm to Miami. Even the northern Keys were colder than the Southwest coast here. I thought it was a misread temperature, so I went outside, and even with 30mph winds, I was not really cold in a t-shirt and shorts. Considering they forecasted 43F for this morning, I hope it won't hit 32 tonight. I don't know how to save the map for this, but if you look at the history of the weather stations in the area, it will show it. It makes zero sense but I will take it!

The odd thing is the forecast for Venice was a high of 50F today, but we never went below 50F, and have been rising since midnight.

[spockvr6]

I think the front came through later than they expected. Here in Palm Harbor, from the looks of my weather station plots, it appears the big blast didnt start rolling in until ~3AM (when the baro pressure started to rise).

From the looks of things, tonight has the potential to be a real humdinger

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[Tampa Scott]

At 3am the temp here in my garden was sitting at 57f, the temp has fallen to 47f as of 6:50 am. The strong NW wind off of the Gulf has helped in keeping temps up this morning, Tomorrow will be another story without the NW wind.

[gsytch]

Yes, I have checked and most wind is now out of the N or NNE which means we lost the influence of the Gulf. It was 56.8F when I got up at 2am, and at 7am it dropped to 45F. The wind definitely howled overnight, and is still gusting so I cannot cover anything. Even having trouble with the plastic on my covered shadehouse. This is a quandry! I cannot move everything, and how do you heat a covered house with this wind flipping the plastic? I usually rely on spraying it down around 330pm to bring moisture up while there is still sun on it. Oh well, interesting indeed. I am still worried about Thur AM due to calm conditions.

[spockvr6]

Guys-

I think we should be happy about the wind. In my past experience, a windy freeze is much better than a calm one at the same temperature. Of course I am talking about gentle freezes of 30-32F. If some of the forecasts which are showing middle 20's pan out, then it probably wont matter much if the wind is blowing or not!

[spockvr6]

Look at that drop after 3AM.....looks like it finally bottomed out around 8AM.

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[spockvr6]

I think its safe to say that our reported high temps for today will be from the wee hours of this morning.

[spockvr6]

The front is a few hours behind, but it looks like its now reached SW FL and Pine Island is basking in the wonderfulness

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[gsytch]

This wind is still howling. I am not sure what to believe as I checked local temps, dewpoints etc and some show "gusts" at 9mph yet my yard has been blowing hard off and on. I just hope this wind stays up a little tonight because that will save us. Living here for 23 years, I know calm and dry = COLD...where some wind modifies the drops in temperatures.
Nothing like Central Fl in winter. Sunday out in shorts and sunscreen. Today freezing with two pairs of socks on! Imagine how my poor pal ms and plants feel?

[Trópico]

Not as lucky as most of you, it's been the same here in Orlando but 10 degrees cooler. I did notice how the temps kept in the mid 40's most of the night but the big drop came at around 8:01 AM and bottomed out to 35.9°F! The wind was howling in the morning hours and this morning I found some of my potted palms toppled, and some sheets blown over. Right now we're sitting at 42°F. Later on I will put more christmas lights out and securely tie some of the sheets that got blown over.

[Alan_Tampa]

Good luck everyone. This thing could go either way. Pray for magic cloud cover or westerly winds.
Alan

[Mandrew968]

What the heck happened to the Artic Oscillation?? It is positive!

[tank]

Nice to know that Gainesville is forecast to be colder than Atlanta tonight. Awesome!

[Xenon]

Homestead is predicted to drop to 33*F!

[cfkingfish]

Homestead is often one of the colder areas in inhabited Dade County, because it is very far from the Gulf Stream influence. Ask some of the growers out there about low-mid 20s and they will tell you stories.

Looks like I was wrong, we are screwed. 90% of Florida will drop below 32F if not more.

[gsytch]

Yes, it is dropping fast! This will be a killer for sure. I am afraid my yard will be damaged considerably. I cannot even bear waiting months for it to recover - again! Everything was looking so beautiful again and all the Bromeliads came back really well. This is so heartbreaking!

[Tampa Scott]

Went to bed with the outside temp at 37f at 12am. Sun now coming up with the temp sitting at 35F and no frost was noted when I let the dogs out. My home weather station recorded a quick drop to 33F about 1 hr ago.

[palmsOrl]

Okay, so the official lows for the Orlando area this morning were: 35F at Orlando Executive Airport, 33F at Orlando Int'l Airport and 31F at Sanford Int'l. I am sure these numbers are on the warmer end of the spectrum for this area, but still...hard freeze? Hardly.

-Michael

[Palmə häl′ik]

I bottomed out right around 27F as the sun was risin'...
Frost in all the neighbors yards and roofs... Not mine though...
My fire pit tactic works.

~Ray.

[PalmatierMeg]

6:30 a.m. - 37.7
8:30 a.m. - 41.0

My proximity to the Gulf may have saved me. Not sure about further inland.

[Eric in Orlando]

35F, it got to 35F around 2:30AM and didn't drop any more. No freeze in town.

[palmsOrl]

The urban heat island effect saves the day once again. Whatever the forecast models depict for low temperatures on cold winter nights, should have at least 3-5F added to the top for immediate metro area forecasts (for radiational events at least).

-Michael

[Alan_Tampa]

Looks like nothing much happened. Sentinal plants still standing.

Alan

[Trópico]

28.7°F at 4:57 AM in the open yard. I see some wilt in brugs near to the pool enclosure.

[gsytch]

Well, woke up at 4am to 32.7F but by 7am sunrise it fell to 30F. I see my Brugs are toast, and those foliage groundcovers like Purple Hearts etc (which will be too big by summer anyway)but no frost noted. Too dry. There is a breeze now looking like 5-10mph. 44.6F at almost 10am still needs to rise MORE. Calm winds still have me worried tonight if these temps do not go up. It appears as if there is damage but nothing severe thankfully. The Broms will come through fine since it was about 4 hours at or below freezing. But I still had ice in the tub 1/2 hour ago! It is in deep shade in the coldest spot of the yard. One more night and this event will be over.

[Ray Tampa]

Did I really see 19F in Brooksville??

[JungleGina]

We hit 36.7 for half an hour. I'm about 2-1/2 miles from the intracoastal as the crow flies. We lit all of our available fire devices (tiki torches, camp lanterns, kerosene heaters, oil lamps)--28 in total, which we put either in upside down landscape pots or we stack bricks around to absorb and radiate heat and keep the fire safely inside. I have large broms in the open streetside that I just popped out of the ground and threw into the areca palm barrier for protection...too bad palms aren't so easy to protect. We built makeshift tepees to put bedsheets over to create an air barrier and (hopefully) prevent all the leaf scorch we saw last season. It was too early to see damage when I left but I'm crossing my fingers. Was in a panic when I saw the 25-30 forecast after such a warm December. Tonite's forecast is 36 so I'll be lighting fires again tonight.

[Alan_Tampa]

Afternoon my sentinal plants still good. Piper species and chaya. These look like cooked spinach right away when hit by 32, they look pretty much like before the cold, a little frizzel on the top of the chaya, but no popeye food. Some weeds in the open part of the neighbors yard were browned, but my yard's weeds made it.

Alan

[Jason in Orlando]

I had 31 at 0700 with light frost in the yard. Bird bath was frozen nearly solid. Not sure how long it was below freezing for. At 1730 there doesn't appear to be any damage to a teddy, triangle, and small royal under the shade cloth of the orchid house (where the thermometer is). There is some damage to palms under sheets and blankets where the foliage was touching the cloth or where a leaf snuck out between the sheets.

Jason

[displaced_floridian]

Next cold front Jan 12 and a worse one Jan 16 according to accuweather. Guess we have to balance the very warm December we had...knew it couldn't last all winter.

[Dakotafl]

I hate accuweather....

Its not like they can be entirely certain about that far ahead though, that could be a good thing or bad

[Alan_Tampa]

0200, frost on the truck at work, right next to Tampa bay. Crap. I was worried the second night would be worse. Well, this kind of thing canopy works well for.

Alan

[Palmə häl′ik]

Did I really see 19F in Brooksville??

Geez.
I heard it was right around 19F just south of sebring too...

~Ray.

[Tampa Scott]

No freeze to report here this morning. Overnight low of a warm 36f. Sun is up and also no frost.

[Eric in Orlando]

Only 38F here this morning

[Mandrew968]

Wednesday morning at 2:30, my place saw 39 degrees. That's the worst, so far, for this current winter--no signs of any damage, as of now...

[Dakotafl]

31 here with no more frost than there was last night, so nothing damaged.

Im glad this is over at the moment. Light scattered frost here.

Upper 30s and low 40s elsewhere.

Edited by Dakotafl, 05 January 2012 - 06:49 AM.

[Trópico]

29°F for hours on end. Heavy frost. Considerably more damage than yesterday!
My Dypsis cabadae will lose the really nice leaves it put out last year.

[Trópico]

Only 38F here this morning

That's amazing eric! Where is your thermometer located at?

[buccaneers37]

Low of 28 both mornings. Several hours of 30 or below. Frost this morning with light ice on my windshield. Moved everything I could into the garage, which never dropped below 52. Wrapped several things in the yard Monday in anticipation. Am hopeful of minimal damage. Bananas looked anything but happy this morning.