ORLANDO, Fla. – For the first time this winter season, we’re going to get smacked by the coldest air so far. This will most likely turn out to be the coldest temps we’ve seen in fact in a few years.
Morning lows on Friday could bottom out as low as the mid-20s in our northern counties, prompting the issuance of hard freezing warnings. This could particularly affect Marion and Alachua counties, with National Weather Service monitoring temperature trends in Flagler and Volusia counties.
We’re forecasting the coldest Jan. 16 in 44 years. The current standing record for absolute COLDEST Jan. 16 in the greater Orlando area comes out of 1927, when the air dropped to 25 degrees downtown.
Now, thankfully we’re not getting THAT low based on current projections. But we will experience an extended period of freezing conditions. Hard freeze conditions are more than likely to be observed the further north from Orlando you go.
Some of our computer models have eluded to a very low end shot for some snow flurries toward the Florida/Georgia state line. That fun fact is just to highlight how immense the cold layer will be for all of us.
We will likely flirt with making the top 10 coldest days in January for all time here in Florida, given the reigning champ is only half a degree from where our forecast high is set to top out come Friday afternoon in Orlando.
For a quick check on what those top dates and temps are, check out this article written for our last massive cold event this time last year HERE.