Freezing temperatures, frosty weather hit Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – A cold front pushed freezing temperatures into portions of Central Florida early Monday.

A freeze warning was in effect for Sumter and Marion counties.

"A freeze warning means temperatures will be at or below freezing for several hours," Bridges said.

At 6 a.m., the temperature in Ocala reached 29 degrees.

"There will be some patchy frost across Central Florida early Monday morning," News 6 meteorologist Troy Bridges said. "There are no official advisories for frost, but some low-lying areas will be dealing with patches on mainly grassy areas."

Dry air and high pressure continue to build into Central Florida, leading to lots of sunshine later Monday.

The high temperature in Orlando will be 63 degrees.

Overnight lows will be in the 30s and 40s across the region.

High temperatures rebound into the low 70s on Tuesday, but another weak front will drop high temperatures back into the low 60s on Wednesday.

Overnight lows will range from the mid-40s to the low 50s in Orlando from Wednesday through Friday.

High temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s through the weekend.

"We will be dry for the next several days," Bridges said.

The official start of winter arrives at 11:28 a.m. on December 21.

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Snow in Sunshine State

The "Welcome to Florida" sign in the northwest part of the state was covered in light snow over the weekend as winter weather dipped into the Sunshine State.

It was part of Winter Storm Benji, which hit the Deep South and left thousands of people without power in the region.

Over the weekend, North Carolina had ice warnings, Georgia saw school and business closings and on Friday, Jackson, Mississippi, had its highest snowfall since 1982.

In Florida, the news website northescambia.com posted a photograph of the sign that welcomes travelers to the state, covered in a sprinkle of snow.

Elsewhere in the normally warm state, flurries were reported in Destin and Miramar Beach.

Watch News 6 for updates.