Extreme cold and wind alerts
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hey friends, it’s News4JAX’s meteorologist Katie Garner here. I want to make sure you’re prepared for this serious drop in temperatures hitting Jacksonville and all of Northeast Florida.
We’ve got a stack of weather alerts out from The Weather Authority, and it’s important you know what’s happening and when. There’s an extreme cold warning from 9 p.m. tonight through 10 a.m. Sunday, a freeze warning from 7 p.m. tonight through 11 a.m. Sunday, and a wind advisory that kicks in at 3 p.m. today and lasts until 7 a.m. Sunday.
You’ll see most of Northeast Florida covered under these alerts right now—if you’re seeing purple and blue on our Exact Track 4D radar, you know it’s time to pay close attention.
If you haven’t already, drip your faucets, keep your heat set no lower than 55 degrees, and double-check your plans for your plants, pets, and pipes.
Major temperature drops and wind risk
Let’s talk numbers. Right now, it’s cold with most spots sitting in the 30s and 40s. Tonight, though, low temperatures are expected to fall into the teens and 20s in some places. What you’ll actually feel—the wind chills—could get down to the single digits.
That bitter wind isn’t letting up, either. Gusts are forecast to hit 40 miles per hour or higher later today, especially near the coast and inland. These winds could knock down weak tree limbs and cause some power outages, so I’m asking you to be on the lookout and stay prepared.
“Hard freezes” are likely through Tuesday, and it won’t be until late next week that we see much of a warmup. Our average low for this time of year is about 44 degrees—but early mornings will be much colder: down to the lower 20s for several days.
Winter weather regionally, not just locally
Don’t forget—this system is pretty widespread. There’s a low pressure forming off the coast of the Carolinas, and if you have family or friends north of us, especially up in Georgia or Charlotte, they are expected to see significant snow. For us in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, though, the main thing is the cold and wind, not snow.
Our winter alerts stretch from right here in Jacksonville all the way down through South Florida. It’s rare to see this kind of cold get so far south, and that’s why we’re taking every precaution and asking you to do the same.
If you safely snap a photo of your weather experience (maybe that frozen birdbath or your thermometer in the 20s!), I’d love to see it—just share it at SnapJAX.