We thank Gene McAvoy,County Extension Director, UF/IFAS Hendry County Extension, for helping us stay in the loop on weather in his part of the region of South Florida. He forwards the following Urgent Weather Message to Southeast AgNet Friday afternoon from the National Weather Service. This is of concern to all areas of south Florida.
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE -NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL – 236 PM EST FRI JAN 8 2010
GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER- INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE- METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH- COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…MOORE HAVEN…CLEWISTON…PAHOKEE…SOUTH BAY…BELLE GLADE…WELLINGTON…NAPLES…IMMOKALEE…CORALSPRINGS…SUNRISE…DAVIE…HOLLYWOOD…PEMBROKE PINES…MIAMI…HIALEAH…JUPITER…WEST PALM BEACH…BOCA RATON…POMPANO BEACH…FORT LAUDERDALE – 236 PM EST FRI JAN 8 2010…FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
VERY COLD AIR WILL BE WORKING INTO SOUTH FLORIDA ON SATURDAY INTO SATURDAYNIGHT BEHIND THE PASSAGE OF A VERY STRONG COLD FRONT.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S OVER THE METRO AREAS…AND INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S OVER THE INTERIOR AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. AT THIS TIME…DO NOT EXPECT THE DURATION OF THE FREEZE TO MEET THE HARD FREEZE CRITERIA. THEREFORE…A FREEZE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE.
THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.
To quote one slide of a Power Point Presentation by NWS on today’s weather briefing – “Widespread clouds and cold rain tomorrow followed by potential for a historic freeze and extraordinarily low wind chill values on Sunday morning”