Beautiful Parade Today, But our First Freeze and Frost for Many Tonight!

November 11, 2011

What a gorgeous day it turned out to be! This is more than a wild roller coaster ride nature has us on. We honored the Veterans by covering the parade at First Coast News and I had a great time bringing my three daughters to work with me so they could understand today is more than just a day away from school. They did gain more appreciation so it was a successful day and also enjoyed the bands, waving to the veterans, and some of the fancy floats you see above! They started off in their warm jackets but by the end of the parade my daughters were back in their short sleeves. Temperatures started at 52 degrees and by the end of the parade it was a pleasant 62 degrees. Even Joy Purdy had to take her heavy coat and scarf off! But do not put your warm weather gear away by any means! These wild temperature swings are a warning sign that the big chill is yet to come! It is being brought to you by a very dry air mass that originated in Canada and it will feel like Canada late tonight and first thing Saturday morning.

Here are my forecast lows around the area. Note the darker blue areas have frost advisories and interior St. Johns and Flagler Counties will even get in on some frost even if they are not in an official advisory. The lighter blue areas are freeze warnings with some of the colder spots dipping to freezing for 2 to 3 hours by first thing Saturday! The official record low for Jacksonville is 33 set back in 1987. I think we have a good chance of reaching that by late tonight!

Make sure you bring in the pets and protect the sensitive plants especially away from the river and ocean. Notice some areas of interior Florida and Southeast Georgia from near Waycross will be below freezing and we are not talking about the wind chills. These are actual air temperatures.

Temperatures over the ocean and St. Johns River are still in the middle to upper 60s so that is why you see lows near the coast holding in the 40s from St. Simons Island to Fernandina to Jax Beach, Ponte Vedra and all the way down to Flagler Beach. But once you get away from the water that still holds all of that heat from our summer season notice how temperatures plummet to near freezing in Woodbine right off Interstate 95.

Now if this is too cold too soon for you it is okay! You can still smile like the sunshine. What a incredible shot captured by Jonathan Copeland!! This was a summer scene and we have summer breezes back in the 7 day forecast! I will have more on this over the weekend! See you soon! Stay warm and have the shorts ready! Make sure to send in your frosty pictures to weather@firstcoastnews.com! Don't forget the pets and plants!