OCALA, Fla. – People living in Marion County experienced several hours of sub-freezing weather as the coldest air in years swept through the region.
On Friday, a hard freeze warning was in effect in Ocala as temperatures were in the mid 20s until after sunrise.
Nicole Toohey works in Dixie County and said she made sure her children were prepared for the cold.
“I have the heat on right now, and when they go outside, they have to bundle up,” Toohey said. “My 13-year-old, when she goes to school, she’s going to put on a long-sleeve shirt, jacket, pants. She actually told me she’s going to put on leggings underneath her pants.”
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After daybreak, frost was seen on grass fields and rooftops throughout the county.
As temperatures rose above freezing, the ice crystals began melting and students were waiting to be picked up at bus stops.
Dana Rowland followed her son, who’s in sixth grade, to the bus stop. She said he struggled to get out of bed.
“He just didn’t want to go to school, I think. He said he had a sore throat, but I don’t know. It was a little exaggerated,” Rowland said.
After a brief warmup this weekend, another cold front will bring rain chances on Sunday, followed by another round of chilly mornings early next week.
In response to the cold snap, several counties have opened cold-weather shelters. A list of those locations can be found by clicking here.
[MORE: How low did we go? A look at Central Florida temps]