FLORIDA FREEZE: Cold weather alerts are in effect from Jacksonville to Tampa as Florida braces for an arctic freeze. FOX13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto joins FOX Weather to discuss the freezing cold air that will impact the state.
FLORIDA – While millions of Americans have been feeling the bitter arctic air this winter fueled by the Polar Vortex, Floridians will get their taste this week as a rare deep freeze is underway in the Sunshine State.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the cold weather is only going to intensify into the weekend as major cities in Florida like Miami could see their coldest temperatures in 16 years on Sunday.
Freeze Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories remain in effect from Jacksonville through Fort Myers.
ARCTIC PLUNGE: POLAR VORTEX LOCKS IN SNOW, ICE AND LIFE-THREATENING COLD AFTER DEADLY STORM
Tampa has not seen a temperature below 35 degrees since the beginning of 2025.
(FOX Weather)
Arctic air will be funneled back into Florida just as the potential bomb cyclone we have been tracking sits off the coast of the Carolinas, while a high-pressure system builds over the Central U.S.
NEXT MAJOR STORM THREAT EYES EAST COAST DAYS AFTER DEADLY WINTER STORM
This setup will fuel the low temperatures to run up to 30 degrees below average, forcing Floridians to layer up and dig out the winter coat from their closets.
These types of extreme temperature drops could pose a threat to invasive iguanas.
FILE – A maintenance worker holds an iguana immobilized from cold temperatures outside an apartment complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Cold-stunned iguanas fell from trees in South Florida Wednesday morning as temperatures in Miami hit 40 degrees and wind chills reached in the 20s and 30s in South Florida, The National Weather Service reported. Photographer: Saul Martinez/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Getty Images)
When temperatures reach the 50s, iguanas become sluggish and slow down. At 40 degrees, they can become cold-stunned for up to eight hours.
As temperatures drop, green iguanas enter torpor, a temporary state in which animals seize up and appear dead —losing all muscle control, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They will then fall from trees due to this type of weather.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, more than 40 record low temperatures could be broken on Sunday and Monday morning for major cities such as Tallahassee, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, and Miami.
(FOX Weather)
Wind chill values will make conditions feel even colder, as below-freezing wind chills in the low 20s are expected across the Sunshine State by Sunday morning.
HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER
Be sure to dress warmly if you get outdoors in Florida this week, especially at night. Tune in to FOX Weather for the latest news and updates on winter weather across the U.S.
