From fire threats to frost, gusty cold hits South Florida

The cold front taking over South Florida on Saturday has been chillier and windier than initially predicted, creating weather conditions conducive to both frost and fires this weekend.

On Friday, Broward and Miami-Dade counties announced cold-weather emergencies, opening and expanding services at shelters for homeless people.

Temperatures plummeted Friday afternoon, but the real cold weather began Saturday morning, with temperatures dropping overnight to the upper 40s in Broward and Dade counties and the lower 40s in Palm Beach County.

Forecasters thought the Saturday highs would at least make it into the 60s, but now are saying they “will struggle to surpass 60 degrees for most areas,” according to the National Weather Service Miami’s Saturday briefing.

The coldest temperatures of the weekend will come Saturday night and into Sunday morning, dropping even lower than the lows during the Christmas cold snap.

That time, the cloud cover kept the temperatures from going too low, said Robert Garcia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Miami.

“We weren’t able to warm up during the day but it acted like a bit of a blanket at night,” he said.

South Floridians in inland parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties can expect to wake up to temperatures in the low and mid 30s in inland areas and the high 30s and low 40s along the coast, colder than predicted earlier in the week.

At least the sun will be out this time.

Closer to the coast, the wind and dry air are creating ripe conditions for fires to spread.

“If a fire were to get started it could grow rapidly,” Garcia said.

The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings for coastal and metro Broward and Miami-Dade counties that were in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday.

“Concerns for dangerous fire weather conditions remain along the east coast where a drier-thanforecast trend has emerged this morning,” the weather service said.

The wind is expected to dissipate Saturday evening alongside the temperature drop, allowing for frost to form Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a frost advisory for large swaths of the interior, Gulf Coast, and western sections of the east coast metro area.

Any sensitive vegetation, such as tropical plants, could be at risk.

“Tonight would be a good night to cover it up or bring it inside to protect it,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, there is also the potential of a freeze over portions of Glades, Hendry, inland Palm Beach, and inland Collier Counties, the weather service said Saturday afternoon.

Sunday should look similar to Saturday, with lighter winds but an equally persistent chill.

“Sunday will be another sunny, chilly day with temperatures struggling to rebound into the 60s,” the Saturday afternoon forecast said.

Broward County declared a cold-weather emergency from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The county activated its cold weather shelters for the homeless at the following locations:

The Salvation Army at 1445 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

HOPE South Florida at 1100 N. Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

Palm Beach County activated its shelters Saturday, set to open at 7 p.m. and close as necessary based on weather conditions. Palm Tran Connection will begin bus pickups to the established routes at 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. They will be at the following locations:

Westgate Park and Recreation Center at 3691 Oswego Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Belle Glade Transitional Shelter and Lake Village at the Glades at 341 NW 11th Street, Belle Glade, FL 33430

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust announced Friday that it is activating its cold weather emergency plan, expanding services at existing shelters and sending outreach teams onto the streets to find people who need those services. It did not specify which shelters will be expanding services or when.