Arctic Blast Freezes FL For New Year’s Eve

A surge of Arctic air moving from the Plains to the East Coast is plunging temperatures in the Sunshine State, with central Florida at risk for near-freezing temperatures on New Year’s Eve, AccuWeather forecasters said.

“The massive surge of Arctic air across the eastern half of the country has pushed frost and freeze concerns as far south as the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Florida,” Alyssa Glenny, AccuWeather meteorologist, said.

A cold weather advisory is in effect Tuesday night into Wednesday morning for much of the state, from the Panhandle to Southwest Florida and just north of the Miami area, the National Weather Service said. This has prompted cold weather shelters to open across the state.

The Orlando area will see lows of about 36 degrees Tuesday night, with the wind chill dropping temperatures as low as 31 on Wednesday morning, the NWS said.

New Year’s Eve highs in the region will top out around 59 degrees, with temperatures of about 40 degrees that night, forecasters said. New Year’s Day in Orlando will see highs of 66 and a low that night of about 44.

The greater Tampa Bay area will see a low around 39 on Tuesday night with wind chill values as low as 35 early Wednesday morning, NWS said.

Further north in the region, a freeze warning is in place for Levy, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties late Tuesday night until Wednesday about 9 a.m., the agency said. In this area, temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees with wind chill temperatures as low as 23 degrees.

Other parts of northern Florida are also under a freeze warning.

Wednesday’s high across the greater Tampa Bay region will be near 60 degrees, while New Year’s Eve night will see lows around 45 degrees, forecasters said. Highs on New Year’s Day will be about 68 degrees with a low around 48 that night.

In south Florida, the cold weather advisory extends as far south as Palm Beach and inland Collier counties, NWS said.

Across the greater Miami area, lows will hit around 49 degrees Tuesday night with a Wednesday high of 68 and wind chill values as low as 45 in the morning. New Year’s Eve night temperatures will see a low of about 47 degrees, NWS said.

New Year’s Day in the Miami area will see a high near 70 with a low about 53 degrees, the agency said.

Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, issued a “snuggle alert” as the cold weather moves in.

“A chilly blast of ‘Florida Cold’ has slipped into the state, and by Bay Area standards that means: Blankets are being deployed. Socks are appearing with flip-flops. And the thermostat arguments have officially begun,” Phillips wrote in a social media post. Overnight temps [Tuesday] night will dip into the ‘I can see my breath if I exaggerate’ range, with wind chills flirting with ‘Why did I move here again?’ levels. This is the kind of cold where: Pets suddenly need sweaters. Coffee becomes a survival tool. And everyone claims they’re ‘freezing’ while people up north laugh uncontrollably.”

Check out the weather forecast from the National Weather Service for parts of the state:

Tampa Bay

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North wind around 7 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Wind chill values as low as 35 early. North wind 6 to 8 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 45. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Light and variable wind.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph after midnight.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 74.

Orlando Area

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Wind chill values as low as 31 early. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 40. West wind around 5 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph after midnight.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 74. North wind around 5 mph.

South Florida

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Wind chill values as low as 45 early. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 47. Northwest wind around 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind 3 to 5 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Light and variable wind.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 79.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79.