Colder Temperatures Usher in Potential Frost, Freeze

January is shaping up to be the coldest month in recent memory for central Florida as several sharp cold fronts lead icy blasts dropping south into the Sunshine State.

Temperatures in southeast Polk are expected to dip into the 20's by late next week after a series of drops. Area growers of citrus and vegetable crops are preparing to protect their greenery from the potential freeze.

Courtesy NOAA

The Arctic Oscillation positive phase keeps the coldest air "fenced in" at the north pole.

Florida's embattled citrus growers are hoping that the cold weather, approaching just as trees are entering their blooming cycle, won't be yet another setback as they battle Citrus Greening and the impact of multiple hurricanes.

Meteorologists note that the normal ring of jet stream winds around the Arctic, which normally help to keep the coldest weather "fenced in" to the region, is entering a negative phase, allowing the coldest air to spin away from the pole and drop into lower latitudes.

Weather models are coming into alignment, suggesting temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees below normal by Saturday, and potentially dropping 20 degrees below normal later next week. Frost is forecast across much of central Florida this weekend but should spare the Lake Wales Ridge area of Polk.

More worrisome are longer-range models showing an Arctic air mass that may follow the cold spell, pushing lows to near-record levels. Some forecasters have teased that snow was possible over parts of Florida with that front, although moisture is likely to be limited.

Courtesy NOAA

When the Arctic oscillation enters its negative phase, cold air spills south into the continental United States.

None of the expected fronts are predicted to bring substantial precipitation along. Recent spotty rains across the area have eased abnormally dry conditions, although rain bands were generous with some and stingy with others. Areas north of SR 60 and south of ABC Road generally received more rain than the five-mile east-west band that lies between.