Freezing temperatures hit Central Florida

Orlando to see low near 30 degrees

ORLANDO, Fla. – A blast of cold air brought freezing temperatures to Central Florida.

[MORE INFO:  Weather details | Cold snap grips nation | OIA flight delays| Local 6 reports live from OIA]

Freeze warnings were issued region-wide Tuesday morning, prompting the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to declare the next two days as "cold nights." On "cold nights," the coalition will not refuse anyone seeking shelter from cold, regardless of space.

Orlando's low hit 34 degrees, shy of the record of 30 set in 2010.  Wind chills made it feel like it was in the 20s.  Wind chill readings around 8 a.m. Tuesday hit 17 degrees in Ocala.

"It's all about the wind," Local 6 meteorologist Troy Bridges said. 

Tuesday's high will be 50 degrees in Orlando.

The low temperature early Wednesday will dip to 38 degrees.

Then, a warmup hits Central Florida. High temperatures by the weekend will be near 80 degrees.

There's a 40 percent chance of rain on Thursday and a 30 percent chance on Friday.

The cold weather brought a run on business to hardware stores, like Home Depot.

By closing time Monday night, the store in Clermont and near the Lake County line had been picked clean on space heaters and firewood.

Near Clermont, Showcase Citrus got their irrigation systems primed and ready to saturate their orange groves with warm water to keep frost away.

The citrus industry is already seeing a 15 percent drop this year and a cold snap could mean big trouble for grove owners.

Meanwhile, weather nationwide is affecting flights at Orlando International Airport.

Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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