Frosty temperatures keep South Floridians in the cold
(The early warnings of the upcoming Global Warming as predicted by 'the scientists'...)
/Taro
"Blast of cold weather chills South FloridaSouth Floridians are feeling the chill as temperatures drop. The cold weather had people scrambling for their sweaters for themselves and even for their four-legged friends.Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff
Blast of cold weather chills South Florida
South Floridians are feeling the chill as temperatures drop. The cold weather had people scrambling for their sweaters for themselves and even for their four-legged friends.
Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff
Overnight, the temperature dropped into the 30s throughout much of South Florida. But the coldest was felt in the far western suburbs of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, especially near Okeechobee Road (U.S. 27), the Sawgrass Expressway and the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, where the thermometer hit near the 32-degree mark.
And the deep freeze is expected to stay with us on Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which reports that the low temps will be around through the weekend.
At 7 a.m., the thermometer read 40 degrees in Miami and 38 degrees in Fort Lauderdale.
The cold weather has been the severest in South Florida in seven years.
As a result, forecasters issued a freeze warning for Wednesday and a freeze watch for Thursday.
``It's football weather, but it's still too cold for Miami,' said Kendall's John Gomez, who was among thousands of fans who attended the FedEx Orange Bowl game between Iowa and Georgia Tech at Land Shark Stadium on Tuesday night.
The temp at kickoff: 49 degrees -- reportedly the lowest since the game was first played in 1935.
That was balmy in comparison to the hometowns of most fans at the game. Iowa City's temp was minus-1 degree on Tuesday night and it was barely 29 degrees in Atlanta.
For South Florida, the temperatures are averaging a bone-chilling 10 to 15 degrees below normal for this time of year.
To get an idea how rare this kind of frosty weather is for South Florida, consider this nugget of information from the National Weather Service in Miami:
``For the urban areas of Miami/Fort Lauderdale, temperatures drop to at least 35 degrees about two to three times a decade.'
Also unusual is the length of the cold snap. Typically, weather watchers say the cold temps last at most two or three days before winds switch to an easterly direction and welcome warmer Atlantic air into the region -- raising temperatures.
But forecasters say that a strong low pressure system over northern New England and eastern Canada is being ``blocked' by a large high pressure system near Greenland. And that is allowing a blast of Arctic air to swoop into South Florida and stick around here like an unwanted guest who refuses to leave.
The record number of consecutive days when the thermometer stayed below 50 degrees in Miami occurred in early 1940. It was 13 straight days.
In Fort Lauderdale, the record was set in January 1956 when it remained under 50 degrees for 12 straight days.
It's six days and counting this year for Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
For most South Floridians, the cold weather has forced them to find or buy a coat, a cap and perhaps some gloves. And turn on the rarely used heat at home or in the car.
For others, it's a far more serious situation.
• • •
It's late Tuesday night at the Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale. The corridors are crowded with the men and women tucked in sleeping bags.
When temperatures sink below 46 degrees, the Salvation Army runs in emergency mode and offers food and shelter. It vows not to turn anyone away, tossing donated blankets to those who seek refuge and giving them meals cooked by staff and volunteers. |
