FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida’s temperatures took a tumble into the 40s and 50s as a cold front moved through our area, and local officials urged residents to be prepared.
Residents across Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties woke up to a bone-chilling start to their Friday, as they felt the frigid temperatures that had plunged overnight.
A cold weather advisory will be in place for most of South Florida from 3 a.m.- 9 a.m. Friday. The wind chill sent “feels like” temperatures down into the 30s in parts of the region.
Upstate, temperatures fell to 20 degrees in Tallahassee, 23 degrees in Pensacola and 24 degrees in Gainesville as of 7 a.m.
Conditions remain breezy throughout South Florida, with gustier winds moving across the Florida Keys, where temperatures remain largely in the low to mid 50s.
Many residents are using space heaters during the cold hours. Ahead of the bitter blast, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials advised people to stay safe when keeping warm.
“A lot of South Floridians turn to space heaters. When utilizing your space heater, it’s very important to make sure it’s three feet away from everything, especially your bedsheets, curtains, carpets, things of that nature,” said FLFR Chief Stephen Gollan.
Gollan also said the space heaters should be plugged into the wall, not an extender.
“We also want to make sure that it’s plugged in directly into the wall. You don’t want to use an extension cord and take it into another area. Finally, you don’t want to leave it unsupervised,” he said.
It’s also important that space heaters be rated for indoor use and that alternative heat sources be avoided.
“If you are purchasing a space heater for the cold weather, it’s very important to have the UL listing on the bottom. This listing means that it has all the safety features in there, so if it were to be knocked over or overheated, it would shut off,” said Gollan.
The cold weather is not only impacting people, but also their pets.
“The other consideration is for your pets. If it’s cold for us, it’s cold for them,” said Gollan.
Officials at the Humane Society for Broward County concur.
“We’re not used to this cold weather, and neither are out pets,” said Cherie Wachter with the Humane Society of Broward.
Wachter had a word of advice for pet owners.
“You want to limit their outside activity, and if your dog does spend a lot of time outside, maybe it does not come inside the house, you want to make sure it has a shelter to go in, put some bedding in there,” she said. “For those dogs that have a thinner coat or a coat that’s not really thick, those are the dogs that you’re going to want to make sure are warm. The safest place for your pets when it gets cold is inside the house.”
And for those plants and crops, experts said there’s not much to worry about.
“They’ll be fine as long as there’s not a big wind,” said Lisa Roth with Bob Roth’s New River Groves.
Roth said gardeners and other plant enthusiasts should not worry about their trees as long as they water them ahead of the chill.
“It may affect citrus in central Florida if the temperatures go below 27 to 32 degrees.
As night fell Thursday, those out on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale began feeling the dip in degrees.
“It’s definitely cold outside today,” said a man.
“It’s reminding me of Michigan,” said another man.
Heaters burned across several restaurants serving outdoor seaters along the boulevard.
“I’m from New York. I haven’t worn this in over a year, so I’m happy with it,” said a third man.
At the Fort Lauderdale bus terminal, Sean Cononie with Homeless Voice and other volunteers worked to ensure those on the street had what they need to stay warm.
“Blankets, hand sanitizers, socks,” said Cononie.
In Miami, outreach teams offered warm beds.
“We’ve been, since 10 a.m., offering spaces,” said Malena Legarre with Hermanos De La Calle. “We want everyone to go into a shelter.”
Down south in Wynwood, 7News cameras captured tourists and locals bundled up as winds whipped the cold air.
“Warm weather. Bring it back,” said another man.
First responders also took the opportunity to remind residents that it is normal to smell burning when switching from central air to the heat function. They said it’s because the dust on your heating coils is burning off.
They are advised to call 911 if smoke appears or if the smell doesn’t dissipate after a few minutes.
Temperatures will struggle to rise on Friday to around 60 degrees by noon and 68 degrees by 3 p.m. before dropping to 64 around 6 p.m.
Overall, as the cold air swoops in for the next few days, South Floridians will be able to enjoy this brief taste of winter.
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