Tallahassee, Florida – A widespread and dangerous hard freeze is set to impact North Florida, southeast Alabama, and southwest Georgia late Thursday night, bringing some of the coldest air of the winter and putting crops, plumbing, and outdoor animals at risk through Friday morning.
According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, a Freeze Warning is in effect from late Thursday night through 9 a.m. Friday across the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend, southeast Alabama, and large portions of southwest and south-central Georgia. A Cold Weather Advisory is also in place as wind chills plunge into the teens and lower 20s. Overnight lows are expected to fall to around 22 degrees in many inland areas, marking a hard freeze.
In Florida, the cold will be felt from Tallahassee and Quincy south through Perry, Madison, Monticello, Marianna, Chipley, Bonifay, and DeFuniak Springs. Inland Big Bend and Panhandle communities are expected to remain below freezing for several hours. Southeast Alabama cities including Dothan, Enterprise, Ozark, Daleville, and Geneva face similar conditions. Across Georgia, Albany, Valdosta, Thomasville, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Tifton, and surrounding rural counties are also under a Freeze Warning.
The prolonged freeze could kill sensitive vegetation, damage winter crops, and cause unprotected pipes to freeze or burst. Residents are urged to cover plants, drip faucets, drain irrigation systems, and bring pets indoors. Extra care should be taken with space heaters, and vulnerable neighbors should be checked on overnight.
Freeze and cold weather warnings remain in effect through Friday morning, and additional advisories could follow if another cold night develops into the weekend.
