Jacksonville, Florida – A significant winter cold outbreak is set to impact northeast Florida and southeast Georgia late Sunday night into Monday morning, bringing dangerously cold wind chills and the potential for a hard freeze across inland communities.
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday, alongside a Freeze Watch for late Sunday night through Monday morning. According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, wind chills could drop as low as 13 degrees across southeastern Georgia and into the upper teens across parts of northeast Florida, while actual temperatures may fall to 24 degrees or lower in some inland locations.
Areas at highest risk include Gainesville, Lake City, Live Oak, Macclenny, Starke, Waycross, Jesup, Baxley, Folkston, and Homerville, along with rural portions of Baker, Suwannee, Bradford, Union, Columbia, Nassau, and Duval counties. Coastal communities such as Fernandina Beach, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Amelia Island are expected to stay slightly warmer but may still experience frost.
The combination of cold air and lingering winds will create dangerous conditions overnight, with frostbite possible on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. According to emergency management officials, this cold snap poses a serious threat to tender vegetation, winter crops, outdoor pets, and exposed plumbing, especially given the potential for a hard freeze in inland areas.
Residents are urged to bring pets indoors, protect plants, wrap or drip outdoor pipes, and check on elderly neighbors, children, and anyone without reliable heat. Extra caution is advised for those traveling early Monday morning, as cold exposure risks will be highest before sunrise.
While temperatures will recover slowly Monday afternoon, cold conditions may persist into early Tuesday. This event marks one of the coldest mornings of the winter season so far for northeast Florida and southeast Georgia.
