Frost/Freeze — Inland Broward County, Florida

2009-02-05 · Inland Broward County, Florida

Event narrative

Very cold air settled over Florida behind an arctic cold front which moved through the state on February 3. The coldest temperatures in 6 years were recorded at many locations. Low temperatures dropped into the mid to upper 20s over interior areas west and southwest of Lake Okeechobee, with temperatures of 32 degrees or lower over most of the remainder of south Florida. The only areas which did not see temperatures drop to freezing were coastal Broward and coastal and metro Miami-Dade counties. The lowest recorded temperature in south Florida was Palmdale which recorded a low of 22 degrees at a height of 2 feet.

Rather strong winds accompanied the cold overnight temperatures and led to early morning wind chills in the 20 to 30 degree range over all of South Florida.

Record lows for the date were tied at West Palm Beach (33 degrees) and Miami Beach (37 degrees).

The cold temperatures led to the death of a homeless man in Pompano Beach. Crops were damaged by the cold, including tropical fruits, tomatoes, corn and sugar cane.

Wider weather episode

A arctic cold front swept through South Florida early on February 3. Cold air of arctic origin poured across the region in the wake of the front, causing freezing temperatures and crop damage.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 156931. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.