florida Florida Winter 2024-2025

[kinzyjr]

5 hours ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Forecast high today is 51 in Orlando but temps are dropping. Current 39F at noon.  They're gonna miss the forecast by a mile.

I thought the same thing!  The forecast was for 53F and we managed to squeak out a 45F.  When I came outside at noon, it was 41F with a lot of spots failing to get above 40F while I was out.

2 hours ago, flplantguy said:

High today was 45 on the backyard sensor and 43.3 in front. It was warmer during the day with the Christmas freeze in 2022 but clouds have denied it this time. Those clouds will break by the weekend and sun comes back but the lows this winter have left their mark even if Saturday morning isnt freezing. 4 more days of this crap and them maybe spring, but there are indicators of another stretched polar vortex in Feb so maybe another one near V day. 

My thoughts today were similar - the 72 hours below 50F during Dec. 2022.  It's looking increasingly likely that we'll see freezing by Sat. morning.

4 hours ago, Jimbean said:

1PM today hahaha.  Currently I'm at 49F as of 1:30PM

That said, my forecast now says that I'm staying above 40F for the duration of this cold spell.  

Hopefully, it does stay above 40F for the rest of the week there.  I had taken a screen capture on WUnderground, and it mirrors the map you posted pretty closely.  There's an arc across the state where the coldest air seems to stop.  The I-4 corridor is in it, but once you get below Ft. Meade, it seems to weaken.  Notice that St. Pete/Clearwater, Tampa, Lakeland, Winter Haven, and Orlando are basically the same temperature.  That doesn't happen too often.

@JLM + @Matthew92 + @computadude + @Scott W Thanks for the photos - even with potentially great personal loss in the gardens of you and/or your friends and family.  On the screenshots thread, thank you @Estlander as well.

@JJPalmer Thank you for posting that link again.  I like perusing it often.  Very useful!

The hourly weather records from midday Sunday until this afternoon are attached in the ZIP file for everyone.

 

 

20250122_NWS.zip

[flplantguy]

Looking at south texas and how cold they got i'm grateful the low pressure did not form off the east coast of FL. We get cold anyway but that would have given us snow here i bet. And now i dont see why it cant still happen.  Yikes if it does.

[JD in the OC]

I'm in ft myers. Supposed to hit 40deg F this Saturday morning. But only for a couple hours. I got two heaters on my Cyrtostachys and i wrapped my Caryota ophiopellis.  Coldest it's been here in about 4-5 years. 

Next week is 60' and high 70's

[Matthew92]

Finally uploading some pictures. Almost 6in here. A good amount melted today, but still a lot on the ground, especially in shaded areas. Was 15 deg F this morning: Coldest I've ever experienced living here since 2007 (and probably for the whole area since Feb 1996). 17 forecast for tonight. I hope it underperforms.

[Palmaceae]

It is amazing how much snow some parts of N. Florida received.  You have gotten more snow this year then we here in South Dakota got all winter long! 😁

[Jimbean]

[Hombre de Palmas]

10 minutes ago, Jimbean said:

It has been an incredible contrast between NW-SE Florida. We just need to deal with two more nights, albeit a somewhat colder version of this map.
After that, relief is on the way for all of us.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

15 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

21 hours ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Forecast high today is 51 in Orlando but temps are dropping. Current 39F at noon.  They're gonna miss the forecast by a mile.

I thought the same thing!  The forecast was for 53F and we managed to squeak out a 45F.  When I came outside at noon, it was 41F with a lot of spots failing to get above 40F while I was out

NWS Melbourne mentioned in their writeup how temps way underperformed. Of course they did. Lol

[pj_orlando_z9b]

2 hours ago, Jimbean said:

That snow pack is really keeping those temps down in N FL.  They talk about snowfall records but wonder if they'll break records for duration of at least 1" of snow on the ground too. 

[Matthew92]

[HudsonBill]

Next time i pick up my entire family ky and move across the country ill make sure to do a ton more research. Florida is a lie unless your in extreme south Florida or teh keys. 

[Matthew92]

Got "only" to 19 deg this morning. Forecast was 17, so I take that as a small win. First time I've experienced 2 nights in a row of teens here as well.

[Jimbean]

2 hours ago, HudsonBill said:

Next time i pick up my entire family ky and move across the country ill make sure to do a ton more research. Florida is a lie unless your in extreme south Florida or teh keys. 

Years ago, after making a series of observations after cold events, we came up with the same motto as in real estate, "location, location, location."

Look at these maps that are being posted, that right there tells you what is going on.  Another good indication is what is growing at any particular location. 

 

[aabell]

High temperature won't reach 50 here today in SWFL, breaking some records apparently. There's also been a constant mist and everything has been wet for days. It's a brutal long stretch of cold but for now I'm just grateful we aren't breaking any records on the low end. Forecast low for Friday night around 38. I don't anticipate major issues for most of the garden but will have to watch carefully for latent damage and infections as things warm up. 

[Matthew92]

8 minutes ago, aabell said:

High temperature won't reach 50 here today in SWFL, breaking some records apparently. There's also been a constant mist and everything has been wet for days. It's a brutal long stretch of cold but for now I'm just grateful we aren't breaking any records on the low end. Forecast low for Friday night around 38. I don't anticipate major issues for most of the garden but will have to watch carefully for latent damage and infections as things warm up. 

Fortunate too in that the last time this high of amounts of snow occurred along the north Gulf Coast (February 1895) was when there was a major freeze in peninsular FL (around 20 deg or lower near Orlando). 

[aabell]

7 minutes ago, Matthew92 said:

Fortunate too in that the last time this high of amounts of snow occurred along the north Gulf Coast (February 1895) was when there was a major freeze in peninsular FL (around 20 deg or lower near Orlando). 

Yes exactly, this could have easily led to a devastating freeze for the peninsula. I don't love these conditions but I feel like we are dodging a bullet. 

[SubTropicRay]

I'll take 30 nights in the 30's and 40's over one night of 28F.  It's been cold but not frigid in central Florida.  By pure minimums, 2010 blew this event away with or without snow.   I expect much less damage than after a mild winter with a 28F sore thumb stuck in the middle.

[flplantguy]

Im glad i put peroxide down the crowns of my palms the other night. No fizzing except on the Bucaneer palm that i was most concerned about.  Now that the mist is soaking everything, im concerned about damage from that and possible frost. I used dead palmetto fronds to cover some small ones that dont like cold and wet, so i hope that helps them.  The 31 forecast saturday morning im dubious about, i fear lower than that but will be happy if we were not slammed by a major freeze.  Being sick at the same time means minimal protection so i dont get worse.  A true test of the newly planted palms it is!

[HudsonBill]

1 hour ago, Jimbean said:

Years ago, after making a series of observations after cold events, we came up with the same motto as in real estate, "location, location, location."

Look at these maps that are being posted, that right there tells you what is going on.  Another good indication is what is growing at any particular location. 

 

Need to move to the keys or out of the country. 

[flplantguy]

If you want hot all the time the leeward side of the big island has a hot desert spot, but its wicked expensive. Or puerto rico, we have a prominent member from there who could give details on growing there. Just remember that every place has pros and cons, the keys and crappy soil/storms is one, rhinoceros beetle is another in both Hawaii and PR.  Here its cold, so im building a greenhouse for smaller types instead i think. At my age and goals moving isnt really a great idea unless i won the lotto and move to Hilo.  And smaller stuff is easier to remove or change, a huge mature attalea sized palm would be awful to remove, or worse a monocarpic Caryota after blooming.  Ill stick with the little guys if i cant do the big ones here, but im not giving up yet on this plot.  All that heat is hard too and i like the seasons changing (just not this crap!).  There are a ton of amazing plants that need the cool down too, so ill just stay inside if this returns i guess. If you do move let us know the (safe to share) details, so the experts on here can tell you what the tourism board leaves out lol.

9 minutes ago, HudsonBill said:

Need to move to the keys or out of the country. 

 

[JLM]

5 hours ago, Matthew92 said:

Got "only" to 19 deg this morning. Forecast was 17, so I take that as a small win. First time I've experienced 2 nights in a row of teens here as well.

12F was forecasted here, only got to 19F. Massive win here

[Hombre de Palmas]

4 hours ago, HudsonBill said:

Need to move to the keys or out of the country. 

When we moved here from a truly tropical region for family reasons we wanted as close a climate to what we came from that was affordable for us. We really didn't want to leave where we were, but needs must. We are here now and are happy with our physical location.

The real estate in coastal areas of S Florida and the Keys is way too pricey and expensive to insure and along with high property taxes these costs continue to outpace inflation. We simply couldn't justify the expense, and at the time we had other responsibilities.

Central Florida is still affordable and insurable, well more so than the "prime" areas at least. One can build an outstanding tropical looking landscape that is resilient to the elements of any location in this state. It doesn't matter whether they be Zone 8 or Zone 10, there are plenty of options available.

We did not technically zone push our landscape but I usually get one or two scares a winter. One day, if we live long enough, we will get an extraordinary weather event and if I am still here I imagine I will replant conservatively so I can better enjoy the brief cold spells we receive.

Sorry for the setback. Hope you can start a new creation.

[flplantguy]

The airmass is starting to change; the temps is up to 47 now and the dewpoint is dropping. Forecasts have moderated a bit somewhat again to just at freezing and not below, and every degree counts now. Yellow fronds are common in the yard now with many days in the 40s and 50s.  Looking forward to the change after the cold, just need to make it through a few more days. Sun should come out tomorrow and the greenhouse has done outstanding, with unblemished Cyrtostachys renda seedlings and baby Phoenicophorium borsigianum that look ok so far. Some have not even stopped growing, and a few sped up with the cool weather that are more happy with the temps in the 60s and 70s days and 50s and 60s nights. A bit cooler than i thought a few would tolerate but they are all alive still so far.  Hopefully the luck continues the next two nights.

[_nevi]

1 hour ago, JLM said:

12F was forecasted here, only got to 19F. Massive win here

I'm beginning to think that upper teens (18°F-19°F) are not a big deal (in terms of typical northern Gulf Coast/South Atlantic cultivations). Especially if there is daytime warmup.

[kinzyjr]

The next two nights are slated for 39 + 35 (Weather.com) or 37 + 34 (NWS).  The lowest recorded temperature for January 25th here is 32F, so if the forecast is a bust, we could either tie or break that.

@Jimbean +  @HudsonBill Hope your coconuts are doing alright.  Some frost spots from that 37F night some time back on mine here at the ranch, but nothing they can't grow out of if we get through the next two nights without anything crazy happening.  Out of all of the varieties, the plant sold as Fiji Dwarf is the most beat up.

[flplantguy]

Im right at or just above freezing this morning so a freeze tonight is likely.  I may be covering things tonight depending on any changes but would rather not, im still sick and want to avoid it getting worse.  Crappy timing on that but oh well.

[Jimbean]

8 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

The next two nights are slated for 39 + 35 (Weather.com) or 37 + 34 (NWS).  The lowest recorded temperature for January 25th here is 32F, so if the forecast is a bust, we could either tie or break that.

@Jimbean +  @HudsonBill Hope your coconuts are doing alright.  Some frost spots from that 37F night some time back on mine here at the ranch, but nothing they can't grow out of if we get through the next two nights without anything crazy happening.  Out of all of the varieties, the plant sold as Fiji Dwarf is the most beat up.

43.5F as a low this morning over here.  Wet and chilly but not devastating and I think my coconut is fine. 

[SubTropicRay]

The trough position has favored the east coast of Florida this go round.  There are times like 1989 where it was pointed at Florida's east coast and the west coast was warmer.  It's not always warmer on one coast over another.  It's a crapshoot although the farther south you go east side, the more the jetstream comes into play.

[HudsonBill]

9 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

The next two nights are slated for 39 + 35 (Weather.com) or 37 + 34 (NWS).  The lowest recorded temperature for January 25th here is 32F, so if the forecast is a bust, we could either tie or break that.

@Jimbean +  @HudsonBill Hope your coconuts are doing alright.  Some frost spots from that 37F night some time back on mine here at the ranch, but nothing they can't grow out of if we get through the next two nights without anything crazy happening.  Out of all of the varieties, the plant sold as Fiji Dwarf is the most beat up.

So far my big coconut is still doing decent it has a few brown lower fronds but it is still green and held onto all the coconuts taht are on it.  33 this am in my yard at the lowest. 

[HudsonBill]

1 hour ago, flplantguy said:

Im right at or just above freezing this morning so a freeze tonight is likely.  I may be covering things tonight depending on any changes but would rather not, im still sick and want to avoid it getting worse.  Crappy timing on that but oh well.

Tonight we for sure will have a freeze is dont see how not. Im covering my small mangos and starting fires around the coconut tonight for sure. 

[Hombre de Palmas]

4 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

The trough position has favored the east coast of Florida this go round.  There are times like 1989 where it was pointed at Florida's east coast and the west coast was warmer.  It's not always warmer on one coast over another.  It's a crapshoot although the farther south you go east side, the more the jetstream comes into play.

That is absolutely true. I remember being on the other side of the trade for sure. The synopsis yesterday from the Tampa NWS office was illuminating. 

These elements have been a challenge for the last couple days, which
has meant persistence remains a better forecast tool than any
deterministic or ensemble guidance through the evening. Largely,
this is probably because this event is so anomalous. There just
isn`t much in the way of history for an event like this.

The good thing is that the up-coming warmer pattern change should hold until mid-February, or longer, and that's a good thing. Late February cold fronts are better than mid-January ones.

[Hombre de Palmas]

As far as the gulf stream, I heard on the NWS marine report yesterday that it was 13 miles off the coast here. That helps a bit I imagine. Palm Beach is the real winner though.

[SubTropicRay]

The local meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said this air mass is/was Maritime Polar which NEVER happens in Florida.  He said this damp and cold weather is what they get in Maine and Nova Scotia.  Now tonight, we'll get the Continental Polar air mass which we've all come to know and love in Florida.  Let's all welcome it and wave with the middle finger. 😜

[pj_orlando_z9b]

1 hour ago, HudsonBill said:

Tonight we for sure will have a freeze is dont see how not. Im covering my small mangos and starting fires around the coconut tonight for sure. 

What do you burn around the coconut? In the past I've built a cold frame and have a propane heater with blower blow into the frame so the hot air can go up the trunk through the meristem. This year I just did the burlap, C9s, and another layer over that. Weve been 40s for 3 days and inside burlap ranged 50 to 70 degrees. Won't help the canopy but just want to keep the trunk warm. 

[HudsonBill]

23 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

What do you burn around the coconut? In the past I've built a cold frame and have a propane heater with blower blow into the frame so the hot air can go up the trunk through the meristem. This year I just did the burlap, C9s, and another layer over that. Weve been 40s for 3 days and inside burlap ranged 50 to 70 degrees. Won't help the canopy but just want to keep the trunk warm. 

I have burn barrels I set up around it and then I light fires in them once temp hits like 33 34. I havnt protected it all this year besides starting the fires 1 night and then went to sleep because temp stopped dropping. It has seen 33 34 quite a few times this year. This is it this am 

[Jimbean]

2 hours ago, Hombre de Palmas said:

That is absolutely true. I remember being on the other side of the trade for sure. The synopsis yesterday from the Tampa NWS office was illuminating. 

These elements have been a challenge for the last couple days, which
has meant persistence remains a better forecast tool than any
deterministic or ensemble guidance through the evening. Largely,
this is probably because this event is so anomalous. There just
isn`t much in the way of history for an event like this.

The good thing is that the up-coming warmer pattern change should hold until mid-February, or longer, and that's a good thing. Late February cold fronts are better than mid-January ones.

 

1 hour ago, SubTropicRay said:

The local meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said this air mass is/was Maritime Polar which NEVER happens in Florida.  He said this damp and cold weather is what they get in Maine and Nova Scotia.  Now tonight, we'll get the Continental Polar air mass which we've all come to know and love in Florida.  Let's all welcome it and wave with the middle finger. 😜

 

This event is highly unusual.  Another takeaway is that even southeast Florida is comparatively cold to east central Florida.  The Space and Treasure coasts are not much colder than Miami with this system.  This is showing that Miami gets their cold from west central Florida, that then blows across the Everglades.  To show you what I'm talking about, take a look at the graphics that I've posted so far with this system. 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

1 hour ago, HudsonBill said:

I have burn barrels I set up around it and then I light fires in them once temp hits like 33 34. I havnt protected it all this year besides starting the fires 1 night and then went to sleep because temp stopped dropping. It has seen 33 34 quite a few times this year. This is it this am 

Looks great

[KsLouisiana]

On 1/22/2025 at 8:52 AM, JJPalmer said:

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here after moving to Colorado. This event has been fascinating - especially from a microclimate perspective. New Orleans held up really well, but that is some phenomenally cold air all the way down to the coast. You can use the below link to access stations reporting to the NWS; sort by ‘minimum temperature’ and turn the density up if you want to view more stations.  Hope everyone is well!
 

https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?&zoom=8&scroll_zoom=true&center=39.59510684995191,-105.545654296875&basemap=ESRI Topographic&boundaries=false,true,false,false,false&hazard=true&hazard_type=all&hazard_opacity=60&obs=true&obs_type=weather&elements=temp,wind,gust&obs_popup=false&obs_density=1

Are all those numbers the lowest temp of that night? I'm in Lake Charles and some places recorded 6° some 8°.  Then there's a 17° right northeast of LC. My thermometer ready down to 14°  This is crazy 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

35 minutes ago, Jimbean said:

 

 

This event is highly unusual.  Another takeaway is that even southeast Florida is comparatively cold to east central Florida.  The Space and Treasure coasts are not much colder than Miami with this system.  This is showing that Miami gets their cold from west central Florida, that then blows across the Everglades.  To show you what I'm talking about, take a look at the graphics that I've posted so far with this system. 

Yeah I noticed Cocoa area yesterday was almost 5 to 8 degrees warmer than inland even with clouds. Maybe an onshore wind? Even now, TPA is 46 and it's 53 at MCO, both with sun. Odd setup.  

[JD in the OC]

Still expecting 40deg at my house. Bought a comforter and wrapped my Lipstick and placed two space heaters at the base. Not taking any chances. Luckily it's trunking so fairly mature.  I've been told they hate drought more than they hate a bit of weather in the 40's