Back-To-Back Arctic Air Blasts Could Bring Below Freezing Temps To FL

Back-to-back cold fronts will bring frigid weather to Florida this week with temperatures predicted to drop below freezing in some parts of the state, AccuWeather experts said.

"A potent cold front will move across the southeastern U.S. on Wednesday night and Thursday, bringing much cooler air to the region," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said.

Fox 13’s Paul Dellegatto added in a social media post, “Coldest air of the season will arrive later this week. This will be a multi-day cold snap, with another strong cold front arriving this weekend!”

The expected temperature drop comes after a warm start to the new year.

The most extreme cold will be felt Thursday night, with lows around 20 degrees in northern Florida cities, including Jacksonville and Tallahassee, AccuWeather said.

In central Florida, Orlando and Lakeland could see temperatures as low as the 30s and could have a freeze Thursday night, experts said.

In the Tampa Bay area, temperatures could reach the 30s, while South Florida temperatures could drop into the 40s, Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, wrote in a social media post.

“Yes, those are 30s and 40s reaching way down the peninsula. And yes, much of our [Tampa Bay] area [is] flirting with freezing temps while the ocean just sits there like, ‘I’m fine,’” he wrote, adding, “Cold air doesn’t care that it’s January in Florida. Winter is reminding us who’s boss. (No hype. Just facts. And maybe one extra blanket.)”

Phillips offered the following tips for handling the cold weather:

• Jackets out.
• Plants covered.
• Pets brought in.
• Space heaters dusted off.

Then, starting Friday, a dip in the jetstream will bring even more Arctic air and winter storms into the U.S., Fox Weather said. That bitter cold air will move deep into the Southeast - including Florida - where temperatures could drop 15 to 20 degrees below average.With this second cold front, Tallahassee and other parts of northern Florida could see a hard freeze Friday morning, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Here’s the seven-day forecast for the Tampa Bay area from the National Weather Service:

• Tuesday Afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. North wind around 6 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. West northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
• Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 58. North northeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Morning lows could range from 26 to 42 degrees.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Calm wind.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
• Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.
• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62.