The cold is coming fast
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hi, it’s Katie Garner with The Weather Authority, and I want to keep you safe as we brace for some of the coldest air Jacksonville has seen this season.
Starting tonight, much of our area is under several advisories: an extreme cold warning from 9 p.m. until 10 a.m. Sunday, a freeze warning from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m., and a wind advisory kicking in at 3 p.m. and lasting until 7 a.m. Sunday. These alerts stretch across nearly the whole region, from inland Georgia towns down the coast, all the way to Jacksonville and beyond.
On Exact Track 4D radar you’ll see much of our viewing area painted in blue and purple. That’s where you can expect brutally cold conditions and a hard freeze, and I want everyone to take these warnings seriously.
Wind chills and gusty dangers
Let’s talk winds—because this is more than typical Florida cold.
Gusts tonight are forecast to hit 40 to 50 mph in the strongest spots, especially along the beaches and in exposed areas. From about 4 p.m. onward, those winds are going to ramp up, peaking as we move past sunset and into the late evening.
These winds could easily topple tree limbs or blow debris around, so keep an eye on anything left outside, and if you have trees near your home, try to avoid sleeping in rooms directly below them. Power outages are likely in some communities as these gusts really start to whip across the area.
These are predictions based on current models, so conditions may shift, but I want you to be as prepared as possible.
Lows dropping, freeze sticking around
Right now temps are in the 40s, but don’t get too comfortable. That cold air is expected to come in fast—overnight lows will fall hard, dropping into the teens and 20s in many neighborhoods.
Some spots, like Middleburg, Macclenny, Live Oak, Palatka, and Gainesville, can expect lows deep in the 20s or even the teens by early morning. Along the beaches, you’re still looking at mid 20s, and in Jacksonville proper, lows near 20. Wind chills will make it feel like single digits at times.
These harsh temperatures won’t bounce back quickly. Morning lows are expected to stay below freezing Sunday, Monday, and even into Tuesday. It’s not until the middle of next week that we’ll see any improvement, with more “normal” temps finally inching back in.
All of this is being driven by a powerful low-pressure system off the Carolina coast, shoving Arctic air right down into our area. While things stay mostly dry, the cold will be relentless for several days.
I’ll have tips on how you can help keep your pipes from bursting and protect your home from this deep freeze in your full forecast, so stay tuned to News4JAX and The Weather Authority for updates.
This weekend’s day-by-day breakdown
- Saturday: Partly cloudy, windy—temperatures falling sharply by the evening.
- Sunday: Wind chill remains a major factor—extremely cold throughout the day.
- Monday: The hard freeze continues—very little improvement for morning lows.
Stay safe, check Exact Track 4D for the latest, and if you have any weather photos from tonight’s freeze, share them with SnapJAX at https://www.news4jax.com/snapjax/!