Central Florida braces for ‘bomb cyclone’
Below-freezing temperatures and icy wind expected
A massive winter storm brought measurable snowfall Wednesday to the Sunshine State’s Panhandle for the first time in nearly three decades as Central Floridians prepared for freezing temperatures and icy winds that will last until the weekend.
In Tallahassee, Michigan transplant Laura Donaven built a 6-inch-tall snowman. “I made a snowball and threw it at my dad,” said Donaven, a 41-year-old hairsalon owner.
No snow is forecast for Central Florida, but the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the area from 3-9 a.m. today, after issuing a windchill advisory. Orlando will feel below-freezing temperatures this morning for the first time in four years, said Tony Cristaldi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
Temperatures Wednesday in Orlando started in the 50s and dropped to 39 degrees by 11 a.m. Temperatures gradually increased in the afternoon, but wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph lasted into the evening.
And while many of the normally bustling streets of downtown Orlando were mostly deserted Wednesday, a few residents braved the cold winds.
Antonio Reyes, 22, and Ceara Sotzing, 20, locked arms to warm up as they strolled along the mostly empty walkways around Lake Eola.
“It’s confusing. Why is it this cold?” Sotzing said. “Is this really Orlando?”
A winter storm warning extended from Florida all the way up the Atlantic coast. Forecasters said hurricane-force winds blowing offshore today could generate waves up to 24 feet off the East Coast.
At least 17 deaths have already been blamed on dangerously cold temperatures that for days have gripped wide swaths of the U.S. from Texas to New England. Forecasters warned that the system could soon strengthen into a “bomb cyclone” as it rolls up the coast, bringing flooding and up to a foot of snow.
“The temperatures have everything to do with the storm,” Cristaldi said. “We’re probably looking at a cold pattern. It’s going to slowly warm up into the weekend.”
In Central Florida, the freezing temperatures could return tonight and Friday night. Cristaldi said normal highs for January are usually in the low 70s and low temperatures drop to 50 degrees. “We’re right at the beginning of the coldest point of the season,” he said.
Overnight shelters opened in Orange, Seminole, Brevard, Volusia and Osceola counties for homeless residents or those without adequate heating in their homes. Seminole said the county’s five library branches also would serve as daytime shelters.
The strong winds took a toll on power lines in the region, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power Wednesday. More than 2,300 customers in Orange County, about 3,600 in Seminole County and over 2,000 in Brevard County lost power. Crews expected to restore power by Wednesday evening.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advised that sea turtles and manatees are sensitive to the drop in temperature and would need extra care. Nearly 100 sea turtles had been rescued on Wednesday. Boaters should be cautious when traveling through canals and natural springs, since manatees tend to flee to warm-water habitats.
Florida’s largest theme parks announced that water attractions, such as Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay and SeaWorld’s Aquatica, were closed.
Valerie Pugh, a 40-year-old Florida native, dropped a couple of grocery bags to her side as she waited at a Lynx bus stop on East Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando.
“I love that we can dress up — it’s good,” Pugh said. “It’s a change of pace. You put your boots on, be a little fashionista. … People in Chicago are laughing at us right now.”