Cold weather emergency issued in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. What to know about plans
A strong Florida cold front that may bring down the temperature to 44 Sunday morning in Miami — one degree colder than Christmas — has led to the opening of cold weather shelters and emergency plans in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
A cold front will move through SFL tomorrow bringing our second significant cold snap of the winter (thus far).
Although this weekend's lows will be comparable to the Christmas cold snap (Saturday night may be even colder), mostly sunny skies will result in warmer highs!#Flwx pic.twitter.com/mP76dtDWGA— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 12, 2023
Miami and Broward cold weather plans
Broward County declared a three-day cold weather emergency to open shelters this weekend for those experiencing homelessness.
The hours are from 6 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday; 6 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday; and 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday.
Those in need of shelter can report to The Salvation Army at 1445 W. Broward Blvd. or HOPE South Florida at 1100 N. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. There, county officials will arrange for transportation or access to the shelters.
New blankets were distributed to non-sheltered individuals on Friday, the county said. If the weather forecast changes to predict warmer or colder conditions, cold weather emergency shelter nights may be canceled or extended, according to the county.
— The Homeless Trust (@HomelessMiami) January 13, 2023
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust activated its cold weather services plan at 8 a.m. Friday. Miami-Dade operates differently from Broward, sending outreach teams to bring in people from the streets who are known to be part of the population in need of sheltering. The design is a way to manage inflow in shelters that are full.
READ MORE: How cold will Florida get as the temperatures plunge this week? What the forecast says
State’s proactive actions
The chill is not just aimed at South Florida. The entire state will feel the snap of winter.
State emergency officials enacted cold weather plans for the long weekend by announcing the opening of shelters for Friday and Saturday nights across Florida.
The cold front led to a wind chill advisory in Orlando, where the forecast low will dip to just above freezing at 35 degrees but feel like the low 30s. There are “widespread frost” forecasts and temperatures as low as 29 in Gainesville.
READ MORE: Will it snow in Florida this holiday weekend? Temperatures forecast below freezing
More cold weather is expected this weekend. Here's where to find a cold weather shelter https://t.co/qEZAQQW6hP
— Danielle Prieur (@publicradiogirl) January 12, 2023
Cold weather shelter opening in Osceola this weekend, @WESH https://t.co/rOrQzc90zZ
— Megan Mellado WESH (@meganmellado) January 12, 2023
In partnership with St. Lucie County and the City of Fort Pierce, In the Image of Christ will be operating an emergency cold weather shelter this weekend at the Percy Peek Gym, located at 2902 Ave. D, Fort Pierce on Friday, Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. pic.twitter.com/JCTQUBpl94
— St. Lucie County (@StLucieGOV) January 12, 2023
Pet warning
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management also issued an alert to pet owners who may keep their dogs or cats outside to bring them in from the cold this weekend.
If you have a pet at home, remember to protect them during colder weather. Bring your pets inside as the temperature drops or provide them with a warm shelter. Remember: If you're cold, they're cold.
️ Make a plan for your pet: https://t.co/gj0z6t7PrS pic.twitter.com/b1G2cYmWX6— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) January 12, 2023
South Florida forecast
A strong cold front is set to blast through the #FLKeys late Fri Aftn. This will preceded by a line of showers, followed by strong northwest winds near 25 mph with gusts near 30 mph. Temps will plunge into the 50s and 60s with relative humidity below 50%. #flwx pic.twitter.com/tcdyHFwQKS
— NWS Key West (@NWSKeyWest) January 13, 2023
The cold arrives Friday afternoon and will steadily drop by night in South Florida. Wind chill values on the west side of Lake Okeechobee may fall to the upper-30s into Saturday morning. In other regions, the wind chill values are forecast in the mid-40s across the rest of South Florida, the National Weather Service in Miami said Friday morning.
Saturday night into Sunday morning, the forecast calls for lower- to mid-30s across interior regions of Southwest Florida and upper-30s across most other areas. “The exception to this trend will be along the immediate east coast, where temperatures are expected to fall into the lower- to mid-40s,” meteorologists say.
Patch frost forming in the late hours of Saturday night into early Sunday morning across interior regions of Southwest Florida is possible, too.
Cold front will move through Miami and Fort Lauderdale around 2pm. Temperatures will crash from the low 80s to 60s. 50s by 9pm. 40s by Saturday morning. #FLwx pic.twitter.com/cSaLjgu2oj
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) January 13, 2023
