FL Freeze Warning: Temps Will Plunge Overnight, Forecasters Say

FLORIDA — Temperatures will plunge across Florida overnight with freeze warnings in place for northern portions of the state and wind chills posing a threat in the Tampa Bay region, forecasters said.

A wind chill advisory has been issued for the Tampa Bay area from 3 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS. It could feel like 35 degrees outside in Tampa in the morning.

West central Florida could see wind chills as low as 20 degrees overnight.

The Panhandle and northwestern areas of the state will dip below 25 degrees Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Hard freeze and freeze warnings are in place for northwestern counties, forecasters with the National Weather Service said.

“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the agency said.

Freezing rain and ice accumulation northwest of the I-65 corridor is likely overnight with accumulation up to .1 of an inch possible, WEAR reported.

According to the weather service, a freeze occurs when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or lower. A freeze will result in significant damage to many unprotected plants, especially if the temperature remains at or below freezing for several hours.

A hard freeze occurs when the temperature reaches 28 degrees or lower for at least a few hours. This usually means that most seasonal vegetation will be destroyed. In addition, there is a likelihood of damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing and un-drained sprinkler systems.

Here's the latest Tampa Bay forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tuesday Afternoon: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Areas of fog before 4pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. West wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Wind chill values as low as 35 early. North northeast wind around 8 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Northeast wind around 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. East northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. North northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers between 10am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. South southwest wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 58. North wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Breezy.