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January temperature statistics for Sebring, Florida


Walt

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In the 13 years I've lived here in Highlands County, Florida, I've never experienced the amazing number of days during the winter months the temperatures have been so below normal. The number of days this winter have become so numerous that I've lost track of them. Wanting to get a firm number of just how many days and nights were below normal, I decided to delve into the temperature archives of the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) website.

Yesterday I compiled some low, high, and average temperature statistics for the month of January, for the years 2006 through 2010.

These temperatures were recorded at the Sebring, Florida, FAWN, which mainly serves the agricultural community that exist mostly in the more rural areas. The Sebring FAWN station isn't actually in the town of Sebring, but is located about five miles south of town in a rural, citrus growing area. Further, the FAWN station is located about 8 miles north of my home, so I consult it frequently during cold weather events.

Please review the statistics below for the month of January for the years 2007-2010, noting the monthly average temperature (in Fahrenheit), lowest and highest temperature for the month, and also the number of days where the low dropped below 40 degrees.

Without a doubt, there has been a signifigant cooling trend over the past four years for the month of January. In fact, January of 2010 was almost nine degrees colder in average temperature than January of 2007!

Tomorrow, March 1st, I plan to go back into the FAWN archives and pull out the month of February's temperatures for the same 2007 - 2010 time period. I may even do it for the month of December, just to get a fuller perspective of the core winter months.

While the below statistics are for the Sebring, Florida-Highlands County area, I believe most of Florida has also experienced lower than normal temperatures, relative to their locations. If one lives near a FAWN location (see links below) they can also go into FAWN's database report generator and pull out these statistics.

All I can say is, I've had enough of this winter time cold, and hopefully next winter will be warmer, say like the winter of 2007.

All temperature statistics below taken from the Sebring, Florida FAWN archives:

January 2007

Avg. monthly temperature: 64.56 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 33.64 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 88.03 degrees

2 nights below 40 degrees

January 2008

Avg. monthly Temperature: 62.62 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 32.41 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 85.82 degrees

2 nights below 40 degrees

January 2009

Avg. monthly temperature: 59.62 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 29.65 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 85.96 degrees

5 nights below 40 degrees

January 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 55.73 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 27.36 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 84.90 degrees

13 nights below 40 degrees

Links to Florida Automated Weather Network homepage and report generator page:

http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/

http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/data/reports/

1532603481042496162S600x600Q85.jpg

Above: 10 meter weather tower at Sebring, Florida FAWN site

Mad about palms

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Walt,

There is a definite trend there, and not for the good, but maybe Florida has hit bottom this year. I don't see how it could get much worse.

Dick

Richard Douglas

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Really appreciate your collection of data, Walt, as well as the weather station links. I'm looking forward to the summaries that will be submitted by the American Meteorological Society of this winter's temperature anomalies for Florida & Texas. May break all records for sustained cold. Too bad it had to happen during our life time :(

Los Angeles/Pasadena

34° 10' N   118° 18' W

Elevation: 910'/278m

January Average Hi/Lo: 69F/50F

July Average Hi/Lo: 88F/66F

Average Rainfall: 19"/48cm

USDA 11/Sunset 23

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?MTW

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I'd have to agree with the statistics, It's getting to the point where coconuts are no longer happy growing in my yard. Ones tat suffered from last years cold just started to recover by the end of last summer, I think they are being finished off now. The prolonged nightly temps in the upper 30's to low 40's just goes on and on putting in the final blows to many palms.

Edited by redant

Jupiter FL

in the Zone formally known as 10A

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i havnt noticed anymore decline of coconut palms in my area since the big freeze, other than damage just showing up from that, and i live in brevard county, the ones on the barrier islands look great. ahhh the winter 0f 07, those were the days lol

Edited by floridasun

i love florida...............and palm trees!

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Walt

I think if November and December of 2009 are factored into the winter equation it will make the 2009-2010 winter seem less disasterous. As both of those months were fairly warm,especially by previous years standards.

Having said that January and Febuary have been downright COLD! Even factoring out the actual freezing temps in Janurary and Febuary ,which were considerably more than any single previous year I can remember in central Florida. The real problem as you stated, has been the number of days in those 2 months that the low has been below 40F, virtually unheard here, and according to forecasts will continue into March. Add the fact that the average daily highs have been way below normal also for the last 2 months,and you have a winter from hell, that is NOT conducive to growing most tropical(crown shafted) palms! :angry:

My low temps for the last 4 nights of Febuary were

2/25- 39.2F

2/26- 36.7F

2/27- 39.8F

2/28- 36.8F

And the forecast temp for tonight March the 1st is 38F!

You know it has been a cold winter when the surf temp (Atlantic Ocean) off Cape Canveral is 57.2 on March 1st, which is at least 10 degrees colder than previous normal years at the beginning of March!

Edited by gsn

Scott

Titusville, FL

1/2 mile from the Indian River

USDA Zone COLD

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Actually, I was talking to my neighbor a while ago, and he goes, "not a bad day". I then reminded him it was about 15 degrees below normal for today. He just shook his head and went in. I think I remember seeing him, oh, a month ago? ALERT THE MEDIA it hit 61F today! First 60F+ temp since Tuesday. Greg :drool:

Begonias are my thing. I've been growing and selling them for three decades, nearly two in Tampa Bay. NPR is an bhour N of St Pete, coast

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Well, I couldn't wait until tomorrow, so I checked the Sebring, Florida, FAWN website for February 2010 temperature readings. This is how the numbers played out:

February 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 55.99 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 32.96 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 87.39 degrees

11 nights below 40 degrees

Wow! February 2010, with little exception, is almost a carbon copy of January 2010! And the first week of March doesn't look much better, as they are calling for mid 30s Monday and Tuesday morning.

Today I packed up all my cold protection materials (blankets, flannel sheets, heaters, string lights, heating cables, extension cords, etc.). I'm tired of fighting it. I've had more nights in the 30s in two months than I've had 6-7 years total, previous to this year!

They say El Nino is the cause of all this cold weather. Well hell, I had a stronger El Nino here the winter of '97-'98, and I don't think the temperature dropped below 40 degrees all winter, albiet we had tons of rain, wetter than I've ever seen it.

Mad about palms

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Well, I couldn't wait until tomorrow, so I checked the Sebring, Florida, FAWN website for February 2010 temperature readings. This is how the numbers played out:

February 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 55.99 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 32.96 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 87.39 degrees

11 nights below 40 degrees

Wow! February 2010, with little exception, is almost a carbon copy of January 2010! And the first week of March doesn't look much better, as they are calling for mid 30s Monday and Tuesday morning.

Today I packed up all my cold protection materials (blankets, flannel sheets, heaters, string lights, heating cables, extension cords, etc.). I'm tired of fighting it. I've had more nights in the 30s in two months than I've had 6-7 years total, previous to this year!

They say El Nino is the cause of all this cold weather. Well hell, I had a stronger El Nino here the winter of '97-'98, and I don't think the temperature dropped below 40 degrees all winter, albiet we had tons of rain, wetter than I've ever seen it.

I don't remember any 87 degree days this february! The hottest day this month we had was 78F. In fact, the hottest we got was 84 on Jan 24th

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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Well, I couldn't wait until tomorrow, so I checked the Sebring, Florida, FAWN website for February 2010 temperature readings. This is how the numbers played out:

February 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 55.99 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 32.96 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 87.39 degrees

11 nights below 40 degrees

Wow! February 2010, with little exception, is almost a carbon copy of January 2010! And the first week of March doesn't look much better, as they are calling for mid 30s Monday and Tuesday morning.

Today I packed up all my cold protection materials (blankets, flannel sheets, heaters, string lights, heating cables, extension cords, etc.). I'm tired of fighting it. I've had more nights in the 30s in two months than I've had 6-7 years total, previous to this year!

They say El Nino is the cause of all this cold weather. Well hell, I had a stronger El Nino here the winter of '97-'98, and I don't think the temperature dropped below 40 degrees all winter, albiet we had tons of rain, wetter than I've ever seen it.

I don't remember any 87 degree days this february! The hottest day this month we had was 78F. In fact, the hottest we got was 84 on Jan 24th

My mistake. I can hardly believe I did this but, I also looked up the high temperatures for February of 2008 and 2009 and wrote them down on a desk pad. When I made my last post, for some reason, I took partial readings from February of 2008, which had a high of 87.73 degrees and February of 2009, which had a high of 88.39 degrees. So, I mistakenly took the 87 from February of 2008 and the .39 from February of 2009, put them both together and made 87.39 degrees for February of 2010!

In any event, the Sebring, Florida, FAWN station's high temperature for February 2010 was 81.45 degrees. That happened on the 23rd.

Below are the Sebring, Florida, FAWN temperature readings for February 2008-2010:

February 2008

Avg. monthly temperature: 67.27 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 38.52 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 87.73 degrees

1 night below 40 degrees

February 2009

Avg. monthly temperature: 60.86 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 30.70 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 88.39 degrees

5 nights below 40 degrees

February 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 55.99 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 32.96 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 81.45 degrees

11 nights below 40 degrees

Mad about palms

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For you folks in the Orlando area, I checked some of the January temperatures recorded at the FAWN Avalon station. This station is located at the Mid Florida Foundation Farm on CR 545, about 1/4 mile west of the Western Expressway. Or, about five miles due south of Lake Apopka. Or, about 12 miles SW of Orlando proper, away from the Orlando heat island effect, lake effect, etc.

Note basically the same cooling decline trend as other FAWN sites. Further, I also checked the Avalon site for February 2010 temperatures. Avalon had 14 nights below 40 degrees!

January 2007

Avg. monthly temperature: 62.28 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 33.97 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 85.57 degrees

Nights below 40 degrees: 2

January 2008

Avg. monthly temperature: 59.85 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 28.59 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 83.21 degrees

Nights below 40 degrees: 4

Nights below 30 degrees: 1

January 2009

Avg. monthly temperature: 57.70 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 27.08 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 83.40 degrees

Nights below 40 degrees: 10

Nights below 30 degrees: 2

January 2010

Avg. monthly temperature: 52.63 degrees

Monthly lowest temperature: 24.22 degrees

Monthly highest temperature: 82.22 degrees

Nights below 40 degrees: 13

Nights below 30 degrees: 6

Folks, were looking at almost a 10 degree temperature drop in the January average, from 2007 to 2010!

Mad about palms

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So far, so good. Please continue to try and avoid any mention of Global Warming or the associated politics.

Thanks to those of you who help make this a fun and friendly forum.

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I thought I would add some more eye-opening temperature statistics to this thread.

The weather folks say an El Nino weather condition is responsible for the below normal temperatures Florida has been having for the winter of 2009-2010.

Back during the summer of 2009 when I first started hearing we were going to have an El Nino influenced winter, I was happy about it, as I recall the winter of 1997-1998 was an El Nino one, and by and large it was a great winter, with no freezes or frost (that I recall). I thought that this winter might be more similar to that of 1997-1998. Wrong!

So as to confirm my recallection of the winter temperatures of 1997-1998, I once again consulted the FAWN archieves. Unfortunately, 1997 was the first year that FAWN started up, and there was just a few FAWN sites. The Sebring, Florida, site was non existent. However, the Avalon, Florida, site did come on-line December 15, 1997, hence they have temperature records for the month of January 1998, during the core of the El Nino weather condition.

Below are average, low, and high daily temperature readings for the month of January 1998 for the Avalon FAWN location. Compare these readings to those I posted in an earlier post for January of 2010. The difference is remarkable!

.................Avg. Low High

1 Jan 1998 49.07 34.62 62.58

2 Jan 1998 57.39 46.29 74.50

3 Jan 1998 64.32 54.42 78.90

4 Jan 1998 68.17 58.97 81.30

5 Jan 1998 71.39 65.27 79.50

6 Jan 1998 72.46 65.79 82.40

7 Jan 1998 75.30 71.50 82.90

8 Jan 1998 69.04 63.76 75.60

9 Jan 1998 62.49 52.16 71.50

10 Jan 1998 56.51 48.50 68.72

11 Jan 1998 55.55 44.22 70.70

12 Jan 1998 60.96 46.25 75.80

13 Jan 1998 64.98 53.67 78.30

14 Jan 1998 65.93 60.19 75.20

15 Jan 1998 66.74 64.30 70.20

16 Jan 1998 62.80 51.09 67.24

17 Jan 1998 54.32 44.10 67.90

18 Jan 1998 58.24 48.44 70.80

19 Jan 1998 60.50 52.92 74.10

20 Jan 1998 55.23 44.61 68.98

21 Jan 1998 61.14 50.34 71.10

22 Jan 1998 68.52 61.20 78.60

23 Jan 1998 67.04 64.50 71.80

24 Jan 1998 62.61 55.56 65.24

25 Jan 1998 53.36 45.25 64.11

26 Jan 1998 58.06 46.78 66.56

27 Jan 1998 64.44 55.60 75.10

28 Jan 1998 55.69 48.61 64.74

29 Jan 1998 54.06 41.79 68.38

30 Jan 1998 54.99 43.33 68.53

31 Jan 1998 55.11 46.10 68.45

Mad about palms

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I wish we could have had days like 7 Jan 1998 avg 75.30 low 71.50 high 82.90

I bet it was raining though

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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I don't know exactly where the Ft. Lauderdale FAWN station is located, but I just now went into their temperature archives and found the following, which shows a marked downward trend in January temperatures over the past four years. This trend is consistent with five other FAWN stations I've checked in central and north Florida.

January 2007

Monthly avg. temperature: 70.65 degrees

Lowest temperature: 45.18 degrees

Highest temperature: 85.03 degrees

January 2008

Monthly avg. temperature: 67.76 degrees

Lowest temperature: 37.21 degrees

Highest temperature: 86.47 degrees

January 2009

Monthly avg. temperature: 65.18 degrees

Lowest temperature: 37.27 degrees

Highest temperature: 85.96 degrees

January 2010

Monthly avg. temperature: 61.10 degrees

Lowest temperature: 33.61 degrees (with 5 nights below 40 degrees)

Highest temperature: 85.32 degrees

Mad about palms

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What if this cooling thing is permanent? Just throwing hypotheticals out there, but what if this kind of winter was what we got from now on? It reminds me more of a Cali winter than a Florida winter. We all know how notoriously hard it is to grow coconuts in any part of california, even places in the warmer end of 10b. How have everyone's coconuts done so far in the cool? I mean ones that were protected from the brunt of the cold, but left out in all the cool? Mine seem to still be creeping along, but you never know.

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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my little baby was left outside through all the cool, but none of the frost. it hasnt been growing fast but summer is right around the corner. weve had little cold years like this before like 2001-2002-2003 so this could just be a one year thing, but as you know florida winters are unpredictable so next winter could be the mildest ever, lets hope. :D

Edited by floridasun

i love florida...............and palm trees!

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