Orlando, Tampa and Miami all recorded their coldest temperatures in 16 years this weekend. Many places across Florida began Monday morning below freezing for the seventh consecutive day for the first time since 2001. The rare cold snap will last in the Sunshine State through Tuesday before temperatures finally warm up by midweek.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The wrath of this winter season managed to reach sunny Florida this weekend. The arctic air that has gripped much of the eastern U.S. surged south, setting at least 15 record-low temperatures across the Sunshine State.
FEBRUARY OUTLOOK: WEAKENING POLAR VORTEX TO EXTEND EXTREME COLD SPELL EVEN LONGER FOR MILLIONS IN EASTERN US
Record low temperatures set Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.
(FOX Weather)
The cold persisted statewide Monday, with Melbourne plunging to 25 degrees, topping the record for the coldest February day that was set just a day before.
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Arctic air also strained Florida’s electrical grid as Floridians rushed to crank up the heat. Some 20,000 customers remained without power across the state early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us — down from 25,000 reported Sunday.
Florida Power and Lightthe state’s largest utility, said crews worked throughout the night to restore power, adding that its grid was performing “well” during Monday’s cold conditions.
Florida Power and Light, the state’s largest utility, said crews worked throughout the night to restore power, adding that its grid was performing “well” during Monday’s cold conditions.
(@insideFPL/X / FOX Weather)
On Sunday, Duke Energy asked Florida customers to reduce their power use between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday morning.
Tampa Electric released an infographic of best practices for cold weather heating on its social media pages Monday.
Tampa dropped to 28 degrees Sunday, its coldest day since 2010 — a year that featured two of Florida’s most infamous cold snaps.
The cold was even accompanied by some rare snowflakes in the Tampa Bay area early Sunday.
RARE GULF-EFFECT SNOW FLURRIES SPOTTED ACROSS TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA AS EXTREME ARCTIC AIR INVADES THE STATE
Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale plummeted to 35 degrees, while Orlando got down to 25 degrees Sunday — all the coldest days on record since that historic 2010 cold snap.
Meanwhile, Daytona Beach set a new record for coldest February day Sunday, falling to 23 degrees.
Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale plummeted to 35 degrees, while Orlando got down to 25 degrees Sunday — all the coldest days on record since that historic 2010 cold snap.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
On Monday, Jacksonville registered its seventh consecutive morning below freezing, tying streaks from 2001, 1981, 1975, 1958 and 1901 — a record that could fall Tuesday, as the arctic chill is forecast to stick around for another day.
The polar plunge also cold-stunned iguanas across South Florida. Many of the cold-blooded lizards were found frozen on the ground as the frigid temperatures prevented many of the invasive species from hanging onto their treetop perches.
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A cold-stunned iguana on the ground in North Bay VIllage, Florida on Feb. 1, 2026.
(Jackson Dill / FOX Weather)
Cold Weather Alerts remain across Central and South Florida through Tuesday morning.
The primary culprit for this cold winter across the eastern U.S. is the polar vortex, a mass of air usually locked over the North Pole.
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Part of the polar vortex has been displaced over Canada. According to NOAA, disruptions in the polar vortex will usher in more frigid air across the country over the next two weeks.
Jacksonville, Florida forecast.
(FOX Weather)
FEBRUARY OUTLOOK: WEAKENING POLAR VORTEX TO EXTEND EXTREME COLD SPELL EVEN LONGER FOR MILLIONS IN EASTERN US
Fortunately for Florida, the South will be one of the few parts of the country able to enjoy a midweek warm-up.
Temperatures are expected to return to the 60s and 70s by late Wednesday, as winds shift to bring warmer air from the Gulf across the region.
