Persistent Cold Air in Florida

[gsn]

My low temp was 35.1 and that was at 3:00 AM, warmer after that with a slight downward bump just after daybreak, the forecast low was 30-31!

They missed it low ,the reasons given were cloud cover and the wind stayed up,which is true. But if they were even remotely good at predicting the weather,they would have had a inkling that the clouds would move in and the wind would blow, keeping the temps up!

Forecast for tonight 26-27 depending on source, I sure hope they don't miss it HIGH by as much they missed it LOW last night! just sayin

[Ken Johnson]

My low temp was 35.1 and that was at 3:00 AM, warmer after that with a slight downward bump just after daybreak, the forecast low was 30-31!

They missed it low ,the reasons given were cloud cover and the wind stayed up,which is true. But if they were even remotely good at predicting the weather,they would have had a inkling that the clouds would move in and the wind would blow, keeping the temps up!

Forecast for tonight 26-27 depending on source, I sure hope they don't miss it HIGH by as much they missed it LOW last night! just sayin

Scott, I like what I see from all the way up there when transposed to down here. Still no 30's here but tonight may be the one. I still think we are in the clear but further west and north will get some melt down. For sure banannas will be the litmus paper test. My palms are still opening new leaves from the December hot spell. I bet the heat comes back.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

It bottomed out at 38 in the shadehouse last night... That's messed up that Titusville is only a couple degrees warmer.

Arctic air is a drag.

[JayW]

We only saw 34* this morning, up a good bit from the morning before when we hit 29*. It was cloudy and windy, I guess that helped us out. They are calling for 20's tonight and over the weekend. BTW, it's only 48* now at 2:45pm. The wind makes it feel really cold!

[EllisB]

Good luck tonight to all our nursery brother and sisters. Keep those pumps humming. Stay and warm and dry!!

[gsytch]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

[gsytch]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

[gsn]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

That is really wierd ,as they have us considerablely warmer for the weekend over here. Still cold but not even freezing for Friday 33F ,Saturday 34F, Sunday 40F nights, according to the NWS, as of right now! I still say they throw DARTS!!

Edited January 5, 2010 by gsn

[JayW]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

I saw tonight that they are predicting 28* for Tampa this weekend.

[Rafael]

Do not be much sorry, here we will raise -2ºC for three back to back nights, from today on...

That wont be nothing, for sure...

[JayW]

7pm and already 38*... it's much cooler, much faster than last night.

[epicure3]

7pm and already 38*... it's much cooler, much faster than last night.

Just exactly where in C. FLA are you?

[Tyrone]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

Are you saying 50F as a maximum?????? If so, I can't believe that you're in Florida. That's serious cold weather. I didn't know you guys got soooo cold over there. You're in Tampa Bay, I don't know the US that well, but you're near Tampa??? Isn't that on the coast? What happened to the warming effect of the Gulf?????

Hang in there. The longer the cold stays the greater the probability that you'll warm up. You can't stay cold forever.

Best regards

Tyrone

[palmsOrl]

The temperature dropped like at rock at my house and at 7:30 it was reading 34.7 F! Then from 7:30-8:00, the temp. actually went up to 36.4 F. Still, it looks like tonight is going to be the real thing. I scrambled to cover many more plants tonight, let's hope they pull through.

-Michael

[Frank in Vero]

38.3F at 8:00pm here in Vero Beach. It's not looking good for tonight.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Frank in Vero

[gsn]

35.4F here in Titusville at 8:00 PM!!! I doubt we will get the warm-up we had last night... hopefully it won't go below freezing before 2:00AM or so, but I have my doubts?

And I thought last night was going to be LONG!

[spockvr6]

Already down to 28F where Im sittin'............

[spockvr6]

..........just outside Baltimore, MD

[gsn]

Larry be sure and tell them to cover the red sealing wax palms , sounds like Baltimore might freeze tonight!!!!!!

[gsytch]

Tyrone- This is MOST unusual. Its not that it never happened, but Ive been here 21 years and never seen it like this. The dips are usually of short duration. To stay this cold this long, has not happened since 1977 (if it even stayed cold this long). I am aboslutely freezing, and do not even want to "play" outside during the day! Greg where it is 41.7F at 822pm so there is hope that our gulf breeze will help!

[spockvr6]

Greg where it is 41.7F at 822pm so there is hope that our gulf breeze will help!

Yes....the nice NW flow is keeping our temps pretty much flat. It will likely switch NE at some point this evening, bu as long as that switch doesnt occur too early, well probably escape a freeze.

That however is not a prediction

[spockvr6]

Larry be sure and tell them to cover the red sealing wax palms , sounds like Baltimore might freeze tonight!!!!!!

Too late...they are all already fried. But, the Prichardias all still look good.

[SunnyFl]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

Are you saying 50F as a maximum?????? If so, I can't believe that you're in Florida. That's serious cold weather. I didn't know you guys got soooo cold over there. You're in Tampa Bay, I don't know the US that well, but you're near Tampa??? Isn't that on the coast? What happened to the warming effect of the Gulf?????

Hang in there. The longer the cold stays the greater the probability that you'll warm up. You can't stay cold forever.

Best regards

Tyrone

Hi Tyrone,

I'm in St. Pete, which is warmer than New Port Richey - and this past Sunday, our high was in the disgusting mid-40s. I have seen much colder lows here (back in the 80's) but this lonnnnnng stretch of revolting cold is weird.

Here's something even stranger - I checked NWS this evening and our county - Pinellas - wasn't under a freeze warning (yet).... but parts of Homestead were.

We're currently at 38 so I don't think we're going to get thru this unscathed. Sure wish my husband had put the tent back over the bottle palm eeeeek

[spockvr6]

STAY NW WINDS!

Another thing that looks decent is that the dewpoint is ~31F (at least at my station). So, it will be harder for the temps to drop tonight (all else equal). But, a quick shift to the NE with the winds, or the calming of the winds altogether, and things get nasty in a hurry in my yard.

[gsn]

DEAD calm here, dew point 23.4, current temp at 9:10 33.4F ......WOE is me!!!

[PalmatierMeg]

42.4 at 9 p.m. We rigged a huge, low tent of king bedsheets tied together to cover much of the shade garden. We used fitted sheets to cover individual palms. Finally, I used t-shirts and my husband's muscle shirts to "dress" small palms. Putting a shirt on a palm is like putting one on a baby. My two Cham. deckerianas in the front yard are dolled up in "hoodies." Might be funny if all this cold weren't so devastating. We worked till dusk in the icy wind. I still haven't warmed up. Good luck, all.

[FRITO]

27 degrees at 9:11pm brought even more palms inside.....

every room in my house has palms in it, I would post pics but I dropped my camera in the creek collecting needle palm seeds!

having a cup of coffee and hunkering down.....

[Rafael]

Well, here in Portugal, 2:00 hours a.m., 3,1ºC, dewpoint 2ºC, no winds, much humidity.

And i cant sleep thinking on my cunninghamiana and howea!!

[JayW]

7pm and already 38*... it's much cooler, much faster than last night.

Just exactly where in C. FLA are you?

I'm in Polk County, between Lakeland and Auburndale. Right now, at 9:27 pm it is 28.6* and dropping like a rock! Edited January 6, 2010 by JayW

[mpanak]

7pm and already 38*... it's much cooler, much faster than last night.

Just exactly where in C. FLA are you?

I'm in Polk County, between Lakeland and Auburndale. Right now, at 9:27 pm it is 28.6* and dropping like a rock!

Wow. That's wierd. It is 36 here on my gauge and St. Leo also shows 36 (5 miles north of me). Gotta be because we are 170ft up. It doesn't even feel as cold as Sunday night.

[JayW]

7pm and already 38*... it's much cooler, much faster than last night.

Just exactly where in C. FLA are you?

I'm in Polk County, between Lakeland and Auburndale. Right now, at 9:27 pm it is 28.6* and dropping like a rock!

Wow. That's wierd. It is 36 here on my gauge and St. Leo also shows 36 (5 miles north of me). Gotta be because we are 170ft up. It doesn't even feel as cold as Sunday night.

That's VERY strange. Are you sure you gauge is working right? I live out in the country and we always get colder here! Here's a couple pics of my yard and house. The houses are all very far apart and lots are between 2.5 acres and up to 20+ acres. Mostly cow pastures.

1 more thing... I moved my thermometer from being under my block carport, in a protected area, to out in the field, near my Sabal Minors. It's on one of the fence posts, about 4ft off the ground. This areas always gets all of the frost and is probably cooler than where it was before, between my block home and block carport, on a wall, almost 7ft high. Look in the pics and you'll see the fence posts I'm talking about, to the left of my Sabal Minors, Palmettos and Pines.

Edited January 6, 2010 by JayW

[Tyrone]

Watch out this weekend. They are predicting even COLDER for us. Today was the 3rd straight day that it never made it to 50F. The forecast for Wed...52F. Whooppeee! Then comes the weekend with a winter storm watch out for So Miss, So Ala, and a chance of snow for Tallahassee. Lord this better go away soon. Greg fffffffffffffffreezing!

Are you saying 50F as a maximum?????? If so, I can't believe that you're in Florida. That's serious cold weather. I didn't know you guys got soooo cold over there. You're in Tampa Bay, I don't know the US that well, but you're near Tampa??? Isn't that on the coast? What happened to the warming effect of the Gulf?????

Hang in there. The longer the cold stays the greater the probability that you'll warm up. You can't stay cold forever.

Best regards

Tyrone

Hi Tyrone,

I'm in St. Pete, which is warmer than New Port Richey - and this past Sunday, our high was in the disgusting mid-40s. I have seen much colder lows here (back in the 80's) but this lonnnnnng stretch of revolting cold is weird.

Here's something even stranger - I checked NWS this evening and our county - Pinellas - wasn't under a freeze warning (yet).... but parts of Homestead were.

We're currently at 38 so I don't think we're going to get thru this unscathed. Sure wish my husband had put the tent back over the bottle palm eeeeek

Well I knew you guys at times got cold polar blasts which dropped night time temps close too or below freezing every now and again, but I always thought your day time temps bounced back into respectable territory after a cold night. This time they're just ridiculously cold. Here in Oz we don't get that sort of thing ever. I think the coldest maximum Perth has had during the day at 32S was 11C (approx 52F) and that was back in the 1940's. To stay at mid 40's after below freezing temps at night would kill virtually everything I have. I feel for you guys. You're living a nightmare.

Also I'd go out and cover that bottle palm and put a hot water bottle or two in there to help it out. The bit of hassle you have to go through for a few nights would be worth it. Bottles can look crappy for a long time after cold weather if they survive it.

Best regards

Tyrone

[mpanak]

I do wonder if mine is correct but I would think that the weather station at St. Leo University on weather underground is accurate. Mine always says the same as that one. There is no doubt that it was colder Sunday night when I covered a few plants.

Pretty sure living on a hillside is helping send the colder air down the valley and the warm air up towards me. I've read that and it sure appears that way. Last year, 1-2 miles south of here on 301, there were roebellini's down in a valley and they all cooked. I didn't even cover mine and they stayed green. I have 3 Bismarckia's and I didn't cover the big one last year at all. I think the flat land you are on allows the cold to just deposit there.

Edited January 6, 2010 by mpanak

[spockvr6]

I do wonder if mine is correct but I would think that the weather station at St. Leo University on weather underground is accurate. Mine always says the same as that one. There is no doubt that it was colder Sunday night when I covered a few plants.

Unfortunately, there is no real quality control on weatherunderground. I know as my station reports there and I could have it show -1000F for the low and 1000F for the high and there would be nothing to stop this report.

From what Ive seen, most of the stations reporting to weatherunderground seem to be reasonable enough for us amateurs. But sometimes, one will see readings that make you scratch your head (i.e. stations seemingly a short distance apart but which show wildly varying readings). In cases like this, short of bad sensros, perhaps its safe to assume that the sensing locations are simply not comparable (i.e. one station has its sensor 2 ft off the ground in a wide open field while another is being influenced by nearby concrete, large buildings, etc).

[JayW]

I do wonder if mine is correct but I would think that the weather station at St. Leo University on weather underground is accurate. Mine always says the same as that one. There is no doubt that it was colder Sunday night when I covered a few plants.

I just looked again and it's 27.0* at 10 pm. Maybe it's gauge placement? Where is yours set up at? Like I said above, I moved mine out into the field today and there's nothing around it for any type of warmth. I wanted to see exactly how cold it was getting out there with my palms. It's on a fence post, about 4ft off the ground.

I'm going to check with my neighbor tomorrow and compare temps, his is out on his porch on a block wall. I'm sure it will read warmer. How much though is the question.

[tropical1]

Nearest weather underground station on lake is reporting 36, dewpoint (31) doesnt seem like a rapid drop is in the cards now. Airport still showing dewpoint of 22F. However it is calm outside here. What are the rest of you reading in Tampa Bay?

[mpanak]

I do wonder if mine is correct but I would think that the weather station at St. Leo University on weather underground is accurate. Mine always says the same as that one. There is no doubt that it was colder Sunday night when I covered a few plants.

Unfortunately, there is no real quality control on weatherunderground. I know as my station reports there and I could have it show -1000F for the low and 1000F for the high and there would be nothing to stop this report.

From what Ive seen, most of the stations reporting to weatherunderground seem to be reasonable enough for us amateurs. But sometimes, one will see readings that make you scratch your head (i.e. stations seemingly a short distance apart but which show wildly varying readings). In cases like this, short of bad sensros, perhaps its safe to assume that the sensing locations are simply not comparable (i.e. one station has its sensor 2 ft off the ground in a wide open field while another is being influenced by nearby concrete, large buildings, etc).

St. Leo is also on a hill so if the station is at the top, the cold flows down. It sits next to a large lake and I wonder if that has an effect also.

[spockvr6]

Pretty sure living on a hillside is helping send the colder air down the valley and the warm air up towards me. I've read that and it sure appears that way.

If winds are calm, thats generally how it seems to go.

[JayW]

I do wonder if mine is correct but I would think that the weather station at St. Leo University on weather underground is accurate. Mine always says the same as that one. There is no doubt that it was colder Sunday night when I covered a few plants.

Unfortunately, there is no real quality control on weatherunderground. I know as my station reports there and I could have it show -1000F for the low and 1000F for the high and there would be nothing to stop this report.

From what Ive seen, most of the stations reporting to weatherunderground seem to be reasonable enough for us amateurs. But sometimes, one will see readings that make you scratch your head (i.e. stations seemingly a short distance apart but which show wildly varying readings). In cases like this, short of bad sensros, perhaps its safe to assume that the sensing locations are simply not comparable (i.e. one station has its sensor 2 ft off the ground in a wide open field while another is being influenced by nearby concrete, large buildings, etc).

That's exactly what I think I'm seeing. Mine, before, was between 2 block building, under a carport, close to 7ft high. A very protected area. Now, it's in an open field, 4 ft off the ground, but I wanted to see how cold it is out there with my palms. I'm sure if I laid the sensor on the ground, it would read even much colder!

[spockvr6]

What are the rest of you reading in Tampa Bay?

43.2F/31F dewpoint and light NW winds (1-5 mph). As I look at my wind plots, the trend seems to be to a slowing of the wind speeds, so the big drop may start if this happens.