TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A sharp fall cold blast arrives tonight, dropping temperatures into the 20s and lower 30s with wind chills in the teens and 20s across the tri-state. A widespread hard freeze threatens crops, outdoor pipes, and pets from southeast Alabama through southwest and south-central Georgia into Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend.
According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, a Freeze Warning runs 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST) tonight through 8 a.m. EST Tuesday, with a Cold Weather Advisory 11 p.m.–8 a.m. for very cold wind chills (down to 19°F inland). Additional Freeze Warnings extend across central/east-central Georgia via NWS Peachtree City (7 p.m.–10 a.m. Tue, lows 20–27°F) and into the Alabama River Region via NWS Birmingham (6 p.m. Mon–9 a.m. Tue, lows near 21°F). On Florida’s Nature Coast, NWS Tampa Bay/Ruskin keeps a Freeze Warning 2–8 a.m. Tue with wind chills as low as 21°F. NWS Jacksonville maintains a Freeze Warning midnight–8 a.m. Tue and a Cold Weather Advisory 2–8 a.m. for wind chills near 20°F across northeast FL and southeast GA.
Expect the coldest readings just before sunrise Tuesday. Black ice can develop on bridges and overpasses—use caution on I-10, I-75, I-95, U.S. 19, and U.S. 27. Utilities and emergency managers urge the 4 Ps: People, Pets, Plants, Pipes. Drip faucets, insulate outdoor spigots, open under-sink cabinets along exterior walls, and bring pets indoors. Space heaters need 3 feet of clearance; never run generators or grills inside.
Sun returns Tuesday afternoon, but another frosty night is likely inland. Sensitive growers and nurseries should plan protective coverings again Tuesday night into early Wednesday.
