What is Al Gore going to do to protect farmers from the ravages of record cold weather?
Cold grips Southwest Florida
Homeless in danger, as are crops, records
By Rachel Revehl • rrevehl@news-press.com • December 14, 2010
1:10 A.M. — The biting chill of an Arctic cold front is expected to continue its sweep of Southwest Florida through Wednesday morning, with frost and freezing temperatures threatening thousands of homeless people and delicate crops already bruised by last week's piercing cold.
Temperatures Wednesday morning could be slightly colder than this morning's but, with today's wind chill, it was expected to feel like the high teens in some areas. A wind-chill advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. today.
Actual lows Wednesday are again expected to be in the mid- to upper 20s inland and about 30 in Fort Myers. In Naples, look for it to be a degree or two warmer.
On Thursday, it's likely to warm into the mid-70s, but temperatures could turn frigid again by Monday morning.
"We're in for at least two mornings of extra cold weather," said Jim Farrell, WINK-TV's chief meteorologist. "(Today) and Wednesday, we're looking at just at or below freezing, which means there is a freeze warning in effect for Lee County. It's going to be very similar to the cold outbreak we had in January of this year."
That cold blast inflicted millions of dollars in crop damages.
Farrell said Southwest Florida could face the worst of the cold Wednesday morning because of potential for both frost and freeze as winds subside.
Near records
Temperatures will likely flirt with a record low today - the mark is 30 degrees, set in 1962 - and again on Wednesday, when the record low for Dec. 15 in Fort Myers is 33 degrees, set in 1944. The Naples record for Wednesday's date was also set in 1944, at 30 degrees, and it's expected to approach that.
Today's high temperature is not predicted to escape the mid-50s. If it does not reach 57 degrees, it will break a record for the lowest high temperature for Dec. 14, which was set in 1895.
Shelters
In Lee and Collier counties, throngs of shivering homeless people flocked to shelters in search of a warm bed, a blanket and maybe a hot meal. The Salvation Army in Fort Myers was anticipating 26 people Monday night. On Sunday, they opened their doors to 19 people, and have given away 50 blankets and 20 jackets each cold night.
The biting chill of an Arctic cold front is expected to continue its sweep of Southwest Florida through Wednesday morning, with frost and freezing temperatures threatening thousands of homeless people and delicate crops already bruised by last week's piercing cold.
Temperatures Wednesday morning could be slightly colder than this morning's but, with today's wind chill, it was expected to feel like the high teens in some areas. A wind-chill advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. today.
Actual lows Wednesday are again expected to be in the mid- to upper 20s inland and about 30 in Fort Myers. In Naples, look for it to be a degree or two warmer.
On Thursday, it's likely to warm into the mid-70s, but temperatures could turn frigid again by Monday morning.
"We're in for at least two mornings of extra cold weather," said Jim Farrell, WINK-TV's chief meteorologist. "(Today) and Wednesday, we're looking at just at or below freezing, which means there is a freeze warning in effect for Lee County. It's going to be very similar to the cold outbreak we had in January of this year."
That cold blast inflicted millions of dollars in crop damages.
Farrell said Southwest Florida could face the worst of the cold Wednesday morning because of potential for both frost and freeze as winds subside.
Near records
Temperatures will likely flirt with a record low today - the mark is 30 degrees, set in 1962 - and again on Wednesday, when the record low for Dec. 15 in Fort Myers is 33 degrees, set in 1944. The Naples record for Wednesday's date was also set in 1944, at 30 degrees, and it's expected to approach that.
Today's high temperature is not predicted to escape the mid-50s. If it does not reach 57 degrees, it will break a record for the lowest high temperature for Dec. 14, which was set in 1895.
Shelters
In Lee and Collier counties, throngs of shivering homeless people flocked to shelters in search of a warm bed, a blanket and maybe a hot meal. The Salvation Army in Fort Myers was anticipating 26 people Monday night. On Sunday, they opened their doors to 19 people, and have given away 50 blankets and 20 jackets each cold night.
Outside the Fort Myers Rescue Mission on Monday night, Gerald Rice spent a few minutes smoking with other residents before turning in for bed. Wearing a gray, hooded jacket over a long-sleeved Army shirt, Rice kept moving to stay warm.
"Just think where I would be if I didn't have this place," Rice said. "Now that would be rough."
At St. Matthew's House in Collier, director Mike Vallee was expecting about 30 people Monday night. The organization has gathered more than 100 sleeping bags and 200 blankets to hand out to those who camp in the woods or live in their cars.
Janet Bartos, executive director of the Lee County Homeless Coalition, hoped word of the cold spread to homeless people who might be isolated from news in their camps.
"It's going to be a very, very cold night for them," Bartos said. "They could be in trouble."
Blankets, sweaters, jackets, hats and gloves are sought-after commodities, said Cliff Smith, president of the United Way in Lee, where many are calling the 211 hotline for information on shelters or for help to heat their homes. There is a particular need, Smith said, for items for children and men.
Schools
Officials at Lee's public schools will be closely monitoring forecasts today and Wednesday, said spokesman Joe Donzelli, after the cold shut down all outdoor school activities Monday night.
"We're going to be taking this day by day," Donzelli said. "If we get another weather advisory from the county, that might affect how we handle things. If it's forecast to be the same type of weather, there's a pretty good chance we'll follow suit and again cancel any outdoor, school-sponsored event."
Plants
The potential for crop damage over the next two days is high, according to meteorologist Jennifer Colson with the National Weather Service in Ruskin.
On Sunday, Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency for citrus growers in anticipation of the hard freeze across Central Florida. A hard freeze is one in which seasonal vegetation is destroyed and the ground surface is frozen.
Gene McAvoy, agricultural expert with the University of Florida's Hendry County Extension Service, said the wind makes it difficult to keep plants covered, but one thing that may be to growers' advantage is that it has been cooler the past week.
"It helps acclimatize (the plants) to a certain extent," McAvoy said. "They can take a little more than if they went from real hot to real cold."
Alva farmer Robert Ritchey and his crew spent most of Monday covering 24,000 tomato plants with hay. The vegetables survived last year with no covering until January, when they wiped out.
"You just do the best you can to protect them," he said.
George Marohn of Danny Yates Landscape Nursery hopes the chill is not a foreshadowing.
"It's very unusual for it to be this cold this early," Marohn said. "If it's any indication of how cold it's going to be in the year to come, it's a scary thought."
While farmers and nursery owners are bracing, homeowners also should prepare their plants. John Sibley, owner of All Native Garden Center in Fort Myers, advises to cover plants at night with cloth, keeping it in place with bamboo stakes, and removing the cloth during the day.
Less hardy, potted plants should be brought inside.
"Also, you don't want to fertilize or prune this time of year, because that encourages new growth, which is susceptible to frost damage," Sibley said.
Travel
Outside Southwest Florida International Airport, some young, ornamental trees were covered to shield them from the cold. But for travelers - at least those departing -the impact Monday was minimal.
Airport spokeswoman Victoria Moreland said the cold had no effect on outgoing flights, but snow storms up North had grounded or delayed several arriving flights.
"We're not anticipating anything unusual," Moreland said.
Those working in the tourism and hospitality industry are keeping their fingers crossed that the wintry weather is brief. Tamara Pigott, executive director of Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, worried this may be the second consecutive unusually cold season.
"Two cold years in a row could hurt our early winter business," Pigott said, adding, "The good news is, it looks like this will be short-lived."
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