Tampa Bay area braces for cold nights ahead; here's what you need to know
TAMPA, Fla. - Parts of the Tampa Bay area are bracing for some cold nights, as a winter storm blasts the southeast region of the U.S. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a State of Emergency ahead of the storm.
"This is not typically the type of emergency situation we’re used to responding to, but because of that, we’re taking it seriously," he said.
Florida's response
Parts of northern Florida are seeing snowfall, and other parts of the state are bracing for cold weather warnings and advisories. On Tuesday, DeSantis said the Panhandle could see ice and up to two to four inches of snow.
READ: Snow in Florida: See photos from the winter storm
"We’re not necessarily used to walking in a winter wonderland here in Florida," DeSantis said.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management and Florida Department of Transportation are working to keep roads and bridges clear across the state.
Tampa Bay Area cold weather shelters
In the Tampa Bay area, several counties are opening cold weather shelters. On Tuesday night, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota and Hernando counties announced they are opening cold weather shelters. Here's a list:
Hillsborough:
Shelters open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday
- Church of God of Prophecy Hyde Park – 107 South Oregon Avenue in Tampa.
- Hyde Park United Methodist Church – 500 West Platt Street in Tampa.
- Tampa Bay Mission of Hope – 212 South St. Cloud Avenue Building A in Valrico.
- Amazing Love Ministries – 3304 East Columbus Drive in Tampa.
Pinellas:
Families should call First Contact (formerly 2-1-1, Tampa Bay Cares, Inc.) for referrals to shelters in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Family shelter referrals are based on availability.
- Boys and Girls Club of the Suncoast – 111 West Lime Street in Tarpon Springs from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.
- First United Methodist Church of Clearwater – 411 Turner Street in Clearwater from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.
- The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas, Inc. – 647 1st Avenue North in St. Petersburg
- Boys and Girls Club of the Suncoast – 7790 61st Street North in Pinellas Park from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.
- First United Methodist Church – 9025 49th Street North in Pinellas Park from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. (This location requires the use of stairs.)
Pasco:
Shelter opens on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will stay open until Sunday at 10 a.m.
- Shady Hills Mission Chapel – 15925 Greenglen Lane in Spring Hill
Sarasota:
- The 100 Church – 14525 Tamiami Trail in North Port will be available for cold weather sheltering beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Those attending should bring their own sleeping materials.
Hernando:
- The Warming Center will be located at the Enrichment Center, located at 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd. in Brooksville from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Hyde Park United Methodist Church says its cold weather shelter has a capacity of 80 people, and it had 78 people on Monday night.

"We've already activated 11 times this season, and that's very unusual," Heidi Aspinwall, with Hyde Park UMC said. "I think last year, it was six nights in total for the whole winter."
Aspinwall said they expect to open the cold weather shelter at least twice as many nights this winter as they did last year. She said they’re also anticipating several more very cold nights this week.
"We might be activating every night this week," Aspinwall said.
Hillsborough County said Metropolitan Ministries gave out 83 hotel/motel vouchers to families on Monday night. Hillsborough County officials said they determine whether to open the shelters at 9 a.m. each day, based on certain weather conditions.
Travel Impacts
Local perspective:
The snowy weather throughout the southeast has also thrown a wrench in travelers’ plans, with airports facing delays and cancelations.
READ: First-ever blizzard warning issued along Gulf Coast
"I've never been to Florida at this time," Kimmy Hall, who’s flying back to Detroit said. "Actually, Florida is well, expected to be very warm. You know that bringing up a lot of sweatshirts and things like that. So I was expecting it to be a lot warmer than it is here in Tampa today."
As of early Tuesday evening, Tampa International Airport reported more than 140 flight delays and more than 25 flight cancelations. You can monitor delays and cancellations at TPA here.
What you can do:
You can find county-by-county information about cold weather shelters across the state here.
The Source: The information in this story was compiled by FOX 13's Kylie Jones, using details from state and county officials as well as Tampa International Airport.
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