#Florida growers battle rare freeze as temperatures plunge, threatening crops

by Emilee Speck
Tue, February 3, 2026 at 3:48 PM EST

"Roy Petteway, of Petteway Citrus and Cattle, in Zolfo Springs, told AccuWeather he is already seeing damage from Saturday's freeze, when temperatures dropped into the low 20s. Impacts include browning leaves and shriveled blooms.

"While Florida farmers continue to assess losses from the weekend cold snap, AccuWeather experts say the duration of freezing temperatures has already impacted future harvests.

" 'This recent freeze may have destroyed or severely damaged 8 to 10 percent of the current citrus crop on the trees. We will learn more about the extent of the damage as the citrus groves are assessed in the coming days,' AccuWeather Founder and Executive Chair Dr. Joel N. Myers said.

" 'Temperatures dropped into the mid-20s, with lows of 23 to 24 degrees reported in some orange groves. Damage can set in when temperatures fall to 28 degrees or lower for four consecutive hours.' "

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/florida-growers-battle-rare-freeze-204811290.html

#FloridaWx #ColdSnap #ExtremeCold #ClimateChange #FloridaFreeze #CitrusCrops

#EF2 #tornado touches down in #SeminoleCounty, #Florida

A radar-confirmed tornado struck #LakeMary in Seminole County on Monday morning damaging homes, downing trees and flipping a semi-trailer.

Updated Mar 10, 2025 3:16 PM EDT

https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/tornado-warning-orlando/1752854
#ExtremeWeather #FloridaWx

Tropical Depression 4 is now Tropical Storm Debby, expected to track toward the Panhandle or Big Bend of Florida as a strong tropical storm or intensifying Category 1 hurricane Monday.

https://theeyewall.com/tropical-storm-debby-forms-poised-to-track-into-florida-and-then-unleash-copious-amounts-of-rain-on-georgia-south-carolina/

#tsdebby #floridawx

Tropical Depression Four is crossing Cuba and will enter the Gulf of Mexico later today. It’s expected to menace the west coast of Florida with winds and surge this weekend, with heavy rainfall also likely. It may reach tropical storm status, or possibly even become a hurricane before landfall along Florida’s coastal bend.

https://theeyewall.com/a-tropical-storm-or-possibly-a-hurricane-is-likely-to-reach-florida-late-late-sunday-or-early-monday/

#wx #floridawx

From our local NWS office: Excessive Heat Warning - dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 116 expected on Saturday, 12-AUG-23. This is the first week Excessive Heat Warnings have ever been issued by Melbourne NWS.

#flwx #floridawx #record
#temperature #climatechange #heat #heatwave