ORLANDO, FL – If you’ve lived in Central Florida long enough, you know this feeling: you step outside on a January morning, see bright sunshine, and think, “Oh, this won’t be bad.”
Five minutes later, you’re wishing you brought a jacket. That’s because cold in Central Florida just hits different.
Up north, cold weather is expected. There’s snow, gray skies, and people are mentally prepared for it. Here, the cold usually sneaks in behind a cold front with clear skies, dry air, and a stiff breeze.
The sun may be shining, but it doesn’t help much—especially when that wind starts cutting through you.
The dry air is a big part of it. In summer, humidity traps warmth. In winter, that dry air pulls heat away from your skin, making 50 degrees feel way colder than it sounds. Add a breeze, and suddenly everyone’s saying, “Why does this feel so cold?”
Another reason? We’re just not used to it. After months of heat, our bodies are acclimated to warmth. So when temperatures drop into the 40s or 50s, it feels like a shock to the system—especially when it happens overnight and greets us first thing in the morning.
And let’s be honest: most of us don’t own heavy winter gear. So when a real cold morning shows up, we’re layering hoodies, digging out scarves we forgot we had, and cranking up the heat in the car.
So no, it may not be snowing—but January cold in Central Florida is real. It’s breezy, dry, and somehow colder than the numbers suggest. That’s why locals know: when Floridians say it’s cold… It’s cold.