Central Florida to see freezing temperatures this weekend

Break out the heavy jackets: Central Florida is about to see the coldest temperatures in nearly 4 years!

 Overnight into Friday morning, rain chances drop off in just about all locations.  Expect temperatures in the 50s and 60s with quite a bit of cloud cover on top of the area. 

Heading into the weekend, all eyes are on a very strong Arctic cold front that will pass quickly through Florida on Friday. Gusty winds will set up Friday evening from the northwest, ushering in the coldest air our area has seen in four years! 

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The FOX 35 STORM TEAM has declared Saturday and Sunday as FOX 35 WEATHER IMPACT DAYS, alerting you to big changes in our temperatures behind the strong front. Overnight Friday into Saturday, lows will fall into the 30s and 40s with gusty winds. 

Temps on Saturday only recover into the 40s for highs despite full sunshine. Winds will be quite gusty on Saturday as well. 

Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, the coldest air will arrive with 20s and 30s laden across the viewing area. A hard freeze is possible as far south as the northern portions of Lake and Volusia counties. 

Hard freeze criteria are met when temperatures plunge to 28-degrees or less and stay there for hours on end. Covering sensitive plants, pipes and bringing in pets is a must with temps this low. You may even want to consider running your pool pumps as well. 

Another thing to consider, be very careful with space heaters and where you decide to set them up in your home. An open room away from curtains is always a good choice.

Sunday night into Monday, we can expect widespread frost, so remember to keep those plants covered and watch our for pets, because we won't quite be in the clear just yet.

 If this chill isn't your thing and you prefer some Florida warmth, don't fret! Warmer days are ahead according to some of the longer-range forecast models peering into early February! 

Take care, stay warm and remember to always trust and depend on the FOX 35 Storm Team!

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