Tallahassee, FL – Inland drivers along I-10 and U.S. 319 should prepare for icy patches before sunrise Tuesday as temperatures plunge into the 23 to 28 degree range, triggering a Freeze Watch across much of the Florida Big Bend and southwest Georgia.
According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, a hard freeze is possible late Monday night through Tuesday morning for inland communities, excluding immediate coastal areas. Subfreezing temperatures could last several hours, cold enough to damage unprotected pipes, sensitive plants and outdoor plumbing. Any standing water on bridges and overpasses along I-10 may refreeze by 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Monday also brings elevated fire danger. Relative humidity values are expected to drop between 20 and 28 percent, while northwest winds increase to 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Dixie County, with heightened wildfire risk stretching across the Big Bend, Panhandle and into portions of southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama. Outdoor burning is discouraged.
Along the coast, a Gale Warning remains in effect over Panhandle waters. North winds of 25 to 30 knots, with gusts to 35 knots, are generating seas of 7 to 10 feet offshore. Low water levels around St. Marks and Apalachicola during early Tuesday morning low tide may create navigation hazards in bays and tidal rivers.
Temperatures rebound sharply by midweek, climbing into the 70s by Wednesday and Thursday, with rain chances increasing late week. Additional updates are expected as freeze headlines are refined.
