Florida may see its coldest Christmas in over 30 years
TAMPA, Fla. - The arctic blast that is covering much of the nation this week leading up to Christmas weekend isn't sparing the traditional winter repellant of Florida either.
As (relatively) cold air pushes into the Sunshine State this weekend, Santa might wonder if Rudolph had steered him astray.
Low temperatures Sunday morning are expected in the 30s across northern and central Florida, with high temperatures only managing to claw their way into the 50s.
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For several towns and cities in Florida and the Southeast, it will likely be one of — if not the coldest Christmas Days on record, threatening the records set during the chilly Christmases of 1989 and 1983.
Atlanta's projected high Sunday of 33 degrees would be the chilliest since 1989, while Birmingham, Alabama's projected 35-degree high would be its coldest since a 29-degree high in 1985.
Timmy McGovern dressed as Santa Claus walks along the beach passing out candy canes and posing for pictures with beach goers on December 21, 2015 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Santa Claus has been visiting the beach just before Christmas for over 30 y
Lakeland, Florida's current projected high temperature of 48 on Christmas would break the current record of 49, set in 1983. Winter Haven — aptly named this season — is also currently projected to break its lowest high-temperature record at 50 degrees, besting the 1989 record by three degrees. Punta Gorda is another Florida town forecast to break its Christmas Day record chill by three degrees (53 forecast vs. 56-degree record.)
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Sarasota is forecast to tie its record of 51 while even farther south, Vero Beach is only expected to reach 58 degrees — within five degrees of its record coldest high temperature. Tampa will likely notch a Top 5 coldest Christmas Day with an expected high of 54.
Michelle Foster, from Oklahoma, bundles up against the cool weather while strolling along the beach on January 30, 2022 in St Pete Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
What about Orlando? With an expected high of 50 on Sunday, it would rank in the Top 10 coldest Christmas Days and the coldest since the 1989 arctic outbreak.
But it’s a far cry from their record. The high temperature on Christmas Day in 1983 only reached 36 degrees in Orlando — after a morning low of 21 — tied for the coldest day on record for any date. Dec. 25, 1983, was quite the day across much of Florida, with a high of 38 in Tampa and 29 in Jacksonville.