Don’t count on it. It’ll be cold (for us) and you should pay attention to those freeze warnings and frost advisories, but dry air is following those cold fronts.
“Right now, there’s no opportunity for any snow here through the holiday weekend and into first week of December,” said David Reese, meteorologist with National Weather Service Tallahassee, in a phone interview Wednesday morning.
“Really dry air is pushing in behind the fronts. There will be a little moisture as the front moves through, bringing rain showers into Friday morning, but the cold air won’t arrive until later.”
The same conditions are expected in the western Panhandle and Northeast Florida: Cold but dry and clear with no snow expected.
“Our little piece of Florida isn’t expecting snow. After the front goes through, it’ll be be dry in northwestern Florida,” said Steve Miller, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Mobile.
“It’ll be pretty dry and breezy, with inland freezes possible Saturday and Sunday” in North Florida, said Angie Enyedi, meteorologist with National Weather Service Jacksonville.
“Monday night looks to be coldest night, with a freeze as far east as Duval County. Could possibly have some locations getting to hard freeze criteria of 28 degrees, but it’ll stay dry and clear,” she said.
Has it ever snowed in Florida?
Yes, it has. While snow doesn’t fall every year, it has made an appearance, much to the delight of residents.
The first documented account of snow in Florida was reported in 1774, according to the Florida Climate Center.
“Since 1886, there have been more than 80 months in which at least a trace of snow has been reported somewhere in the state,” the Climate Center reported.
How far south has it snowed in Florida?
Miami Beach. Really.
On Jan. 19, 1977, snow fell in South Florida for the first time in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow was seen across Southeast Florida as far south as Homestead and even on Miami Beach. Weather observers also reported snow in West Palm Beach, LaBelle, Hollywood, and Royal Palm Ranger Station in deep South Miami-Dade County.
“Residents and visitors were both surprised and thrilled at the rare phenomena, and local newspapers ran headlines which were nearly as big as it would be for major national or world events,” the Weather Service reported.
Every reporting station in North and Central Florida recorded at least a trace of snow, according to the Weather Service.
Tampa measured 0.20 inches and Plant City, east of Tampa, measured up to 2 inches.
Will iguanas drop from trees during the Florida cold snap?
That depends on just how cold it gets in the areas where iguanas thrive in Florida.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said iguanas can become immobilized or sluggish when temperatures hit between 40 and 50 degrees.
Since they have a tendency to climb trees, paralyzed iguanas can lose their grip and fall during really cold weather. The condition is temporary, and they’ll become active as they warm up.
Current forecasts do call for temperatures that could dip into the low 50s Sunday and Monday night and potentially affect some iguana populations, especially in Collier and Lee counties.
Where do iguanas live in Florida?
Green iguana populations stretch along the Atlantic Coast in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties and along the Gulf Coast in Collier and Lee Counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
While they’ve been spotted in counties as far north as Alachua, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River and St. Lucie, those are more likely ones that have escaped or been released from captivity. Since the reptiles are not cold hardy, iguanas in those counties “are unlikely to establish populations,” the FWC said.
