New Florida Winter Outlook

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

I worked outside today and it was near perfect. Sunny and upper 60s. The heat and humidity and mosquitoes will be here soon enough. I don't mind the heat but it is sure nice to work outside and not be swimming in sweat soup.

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

I'm reminded of my birthplace and old stomping ground, the Washington DC area. No spring, no autumn. Just winter to summer and back to winter.

I'm really getting tired of this. I'm no longer used to being cooped up indoors for days & days at a time.

No way! Surely you exagerate!

I lived in the D.C. area for 49 years (less my four years military time). We had beautiful springtimes (cherry blossoms, dogwoods, tulip magnolia, all kinds of flowering shrubs, daffodills. Fall had beautiful maple and oak tree foliage. My Japanese maples were stunning, with red leaves in spring and again in fall. Springtime up north is far more dramatic and invigorating than down here.

That being said, I sure don't miss the cold and the ice and snow and the problem it caused me driving into work (D.C.) everyday. A 55 degree high day up north in winter was fabulous; a 55 degree day down here feels bone chilling. And like you, I love being able to get out almost everyday of the year and not being cooped up.

Okay, I exaggerate - slightly. Knocking Washington weather (and anything else) is ingrained. When the weather isn't appalling, it can be truly glorious. I love the area but don't regret leaving because here I have palms and lots of them. Last time I went there in winter I came home with a case of bronchitis that took nearly 5 months and multiple doctors to get rid of. One of the reasons I'm going stir crazy now is I can't work outside unless temps reach 70 for fear of bronchitis after I spent 3 weeks of January laid up with it.

[Trópico 73]

Tonight we were supposed to stay in the mid 40s, now we're deep into the 30's?

Winter started with a loooong cool November, then mild Dec, Jan, Feb, now it ends with a loooong cool March. Got it.

[Walt 1,476]

I'm reminded of my birthplace and old stomping ground, the Washington DC area. No spring, no autumn. Just winter to summer and back to winter.

I'm really getting tired of this. I'm no longer used to being cooped up indoors for days & days at a time.

No way! Surely you exagerate!

I lived in the D.C. area for 49 years (less my four years military time). We had beautiful springtimes (cherry blossoms, dogwoods, tulip magnolia, all kinds of flowering shrubs, daffodills. Fall had beautiful maple and oak tree foliage. My Japanese maples were stunning, with red leaves in spring and again in fall. Springtime up north is far more dramatic and invigorating than down here.

That being said, I sure don't miss the cold and the ice and snow and the problem it caused me driving into work (D.C.) everyday. A 55 degree high day up north in winter was fabulous; a 55 degree day down here feels bone chilling. And like you, I love being able to get out almost everyday of the year and not being cooped up.

Okay, I exaggerate - slightly. Knocking Washington weather (and anything else) is ingrained. When the weather isn't appalling, it can be truly glorious. I love the area but don't regret leaving because here I have palms and lots of them. Last time I went there in winter I came home with a case of bronchitis that took nearly 5 months and multiple doctors to get rid of. One of the reasons I'm going stir crazy now is I can't work outside unless temps reach 70 for fear of bronchitis after I spent 3 weeks of January laid up with it.

It's just not the winter weather I don't care for up in the D.C. area, it's also the high population and wall to wall traffic. Here in Highlands County it's much, much less densely populated, and traffic is relatively light. We still have under 100K population. It was 80K when my wife and I moved here in late '97.

The last time I was up there was in August of 2002. I don't miss it at all. My wife flies up once a year to visit family because I won't go ( I hate the long drive). But now she's making demands that I drive up this August. I'm going to try and sweet talk my way out of it!

[palmsOrl 2,042]

Yeah, the potted tender palms are cooped up in the greenhouse, but noway 60s/40s and sunny by day will keep me cooped up. This is gorgeous weather.

[SubTropicRay 177]

March is now 8 days old and 7 mornings have been in the 40's. It's very un-March like. Give me heat, humidity and mosquitos so I can feel at home.

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

Tonight we were supposed to stay in the mid 40s, now we're deep into the 30's?

Winter started with a loooong cool November, then mild Dec, Jan, Feb, now it ends with a loooong cool March. Got it.

you had 30s again ?????? It was 46 this morning here

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

Low this morning = 46.2

Low tonight forecasted at 50F. The potted palms get released to the lanai later today.

[palmsOrl 2,042]

This weekend everything comes out of the greenhouse, Cyrtostachys included. The extended forecast looks quite warm. Casualties this winter were all small palms purchased in the fall even though I knew better. These include: Areca catechu sprouted nut, Burretikentia vieillardii (crown rot), Archontophoenix alexandrae (forgotten and dried out), Veitchia vitiensis and possibly Archontophoenix tuckeri.

[gsytch 31]

39F this morning at 7am after radiational cooling - and only 67F as a high as the seabreeze kept us cool. I'm over this cold thing. HEAT cometh our way!

[Trópico 73]

39F this morning at 7am after radiational cooling - and only 67F as a high as the seabreeze kept us cool. I'm over this cold thing. HEAT cometh our way!

Same here. I've been religiously hitting wunderground's predicted low this past two weeks.

you had 30s again ?????? It was 46 this morning here

No way! Well my pool enclosure's thermometer registered that. The 39F was out in the middle of the yard, under a small bush.

Most of my collection stayed basically outdoors under this pool patio. Only the really ultratropical or tiny went into the greenhouse or indoors.

[Trópico 73]

This weekend everything comes out of the greenhouse, Cyrtostachys included. The extended forecast looks quite warm. Casualties this winter were all small palms purchased in the fall even though I knew better. These include: Areca catechu sprouted nut, Burretikentia vieillardii (crown rot), Archontophoenix alexandrae (forgotten and dried out), Veitchia vitiensis and possibly Archontophoenix tuckeri.

I had some casualties too: Nephrosperma vanhoutteanum due to bud rot (this possibly has the same hardiness as a Phoenicophorium), a seedling from Thailand (not yet ID'd, but I have two more of the same, so we'll see), and three more clinging to life (or death?): Licuala 'mapu' sprout , Calyptrogyne 'Paddy's Delight', and an Adonidia merrilli sapling. No larger palms thank God.

[TropicalDude 2]

Eric, Orlando International had three consecutive nights in the 30s. If that's not a record for March it has to be close. Nature has a funny way of evening things out, it's been a week ago and it's still chilly, longest cold streak this winter so far.

Leu Gardens is on a urban heat island area plus it's on the SE side of a lake - although some of that is offset to some degree (i suppose) by part of the garden being at lower elevation

Last Orlando "freeze" we had around Feb 20th here supposedly here it didn't get below freezing, but there was some frost. Had a few leaves on my mango showing damage, the same on a Turks Cap hibiscus bush, as well as some fried banana leaves - i think the latter was part due to wind. Supposedly this time around (Monday morning) the area got to freezing or just below, yet I can't see any damage anywhere other than a few flowers on the turk's cap bush wilting. I'm guessing lack of frost this time around.

What was really weird was this time I looked at temps across central florida, north florida and even up into the southern third half of Georgia and there was little variation! 30s across the board with only a few upper 20s and oddly one or two stations in NW florida reporting around 40 I believe I saw .... very, very strange

[TropicalDude 2]

"southern third half" -- geez that was brilliant

[gsytch 31]

More chilly weather due after this next front. I thought the AO was going positive? My local forecast is calling for 40'sF Wed-Fri night and daytime highs 65-70F. wth? THis March is easily going to come in cooler than January. Time for some serious heat please!

[SubTropicRay 177]

The AO is never positive. It's just a matter of how far below neutral it gets. When it's all said and done, March will be our coldest month of the winter.

[sonoranfans 2,899]

got 0.3" rain today... up over 1" for the year now, this was needed. If it doesnt rain there will be water restrictions again this year... I'll take the 0.3" rain with the 40's lows for a couple days

[Trópico 73]

So, mid 30's again tomorrow night?

[SubTropicRay 177]

Warmer than expected this morning but tomorrow morning has 40's written all over it.

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

No mid 30s here, 48F was the low. 46 is predicted tonight.

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

Forecast low for tonight: 46F

Winds are howling today

[Trópico 73]

Orlando has 41°F predicted tonight (weather.com) and 37°F by wunderground. Those two will correspond exactly to my pool enclosure (41F) and open yard (37F) as has been the case the entire winter.

My low this morning was 45°F, as predicted by wunderground.

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

I always use NWS. They have a map to click on. It is showing 45F for "in town" for Orlando. 37 seems a bit extreme.

Even clicking on colder, outlying areas like Longwood or Zellwood, etc show low 40s.

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

Wunderground still has me at 46F tonight and 48F tomorrow night

Weather.com has me at 43F tonight, 49F tomorrow

[gsytch 31]

Oddly 52F this morning was the low, but a breeze was blowing from the NNW. The temp never went above 62F today with that same stiff breeze making it COLD. One of the colder March days I have experienced in 25 years here, and yes, I remeber the March No Name Storm - that was colder. Hopefully, (once again we say) this is the last chill. January was warmer than March so far. Huh? It is going to be a chilly wake up!

[palmsOrl 2,042]

I was out around 3:00 pm today, and despite temperatures in the mid 60s, it felt really warm in the sun (might as well have been 75F). In the shade it was cool, but when the sun angle gets this high, the sun feels hot regardless.

[_Keith 773]

Our lows last couple of nights were 37,39, so Orlando hitting low 40s the next night or two sounds about right.

[SubTropicRay 177]

A balmy 44F this morning. Lots of greenhouse stuff was outside after last week had the "final" cold front. Hopefully, one night exposure isn't lethal.

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

45F here this morning

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

47.3F on the Isabelle Canal

[Bill H2DB 399]

Passed up through the Salt Springs area yesterday morning on the way to Alachua County

and there was a frost on the ground in all open areas. Car display showed as low as 34 deg.

In the area east of Gainesville, Washingtonias showed winter damage , Phoenix C , not much

if any.

[DavidMac 3]

Hopefully this will be the last week of reaching the 30s up here in the Siberia of Florida. Fortunately many plants recieved only light or no cold damage this winter. Tallahassee is in 8b- but we had a 9a winter

[Trópico 73]

Yup, spot on; 36.5°F with moderate frost on roofs. Saw many areas in metro Orlando displayed 36°F as well, except the 17-92 corridor, how do they stay so warm!???. The Apopka channel was wide open.

[Eric in Orlando 4,853]

What part of Orlando do you live in ??? My fiancee lives in Altamonte Springs near 436/434 intersection and had 40F and she is in an open area that is a cold pocket, she lives at the bottom of a slope so the cold drains there. At the top of the slope someone planted a young coconut 2 years ago and it looks fine.

[Mandrew968 1,778]

My low for the 12-13 winter has been 52.6 F.

[SubTropicRay 177]

Wow, you're in a good microclimate. Most of Miami has seen one or two spells of 40's this winter. On Feb 18th or 19th, MIA bottomed out in the mid 40's.

[Moose 1,500]

Ray - my low for this winter was 46 F, it only fell that low for about an hour. Two other days, low of 47 F. Amazingly, Andrew's low for this winter is above the lows experienced by the Glocks or the Shillings.

[SubTropicRay 177]

Only 52F here this morning so we dodged 40's for a change.

[gsytch 31]

A very chilly 39.7F on Fri AM and 43.8F this morning. Seabreezes have kept us in the 60's during the day, only to die after sunset leading to our chilly lows. At sunset last night, it was already 62F. Long range hints are more cold air by next weekend. When will this pattern break? It is time for 80'sF to stick around.

[PalmatierMeg 7,410]

52.3F actual low this morning.

I've been watching training cold fronts roar down from Canada all month. Another one in the works. Will lows finally stay above the critical 5-0?