Florida Braces For ‘Freeze-Mageddon’ As Citrus Growers In Cross-Fire

What we’re about to share is absolutely stunning and could put South Florida in the path of an Arctic airmass this weekend. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Miami warns of an “Arctic air mass heading into South Florida this upcoming weekend.” 

NWS Miami provided an infographic explaining the potential setup that could leave area-wide frost and freezing conditions in South Florida. 

1/26: An Arctic Airmass could pay a visit to South Florida this upcoming weekend, bringing well-below average temperatures and the potential of an inland freeze. This #WeatherExplained infographic explains the potential setup that could lead to the coldest air so far this season. pic.twitter.com/BWATI2jtES

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 26, 2022

“Temperatures on Saturday are forecast to not get out of the 50s over most of the area, and even southern areas around Miami may struggle to reach 60 degrees under clearing skies and gusty northwest winds,” NWS Miami said. “This will set the stage for the coldest night and morning which will likely be Saturday night and Sunday morning.”

“Current indications are that the probabilities for freezing temperatures early Sunday morning are increasing over inland Southwest Florida, primarily Glades, Hendry, inland Collier, and inland Palm Beach County well away from Lake Okeechobee. In these areas, duration of temperatures of 32 degrees or below could be as much as 4 hours. 

Over the rest of the area, low temperatures Sunday morning are forecast to range from the mid-30s over the outlying suburbs of the east and west coasts, upper 30s Gulf coast, and upper 30s to lower 40s over most of metro Southeast Florida,” NWS Miami said. 

Weather conditions Saturday evening and Sunday morning could be cold enough for freeze warnings. Here’s the freeze outlook for the weekend. 

The potential freeze-mageddon comes as “The Sunshine State” produces one of the smallest crops since the 1940s. 

In what appears to be a citrus shortage developing, frozen orange juice futures have risen nearly 40% since the beginning of November. Currently, they trade around $1.59 per pound as speculators could push contracts as high as $2. 

At this time, the state’s citrus growers are praying freeze-mageddon is not unleashed across the state; otherwise, it would mean more crop loss and higher prices, something consumers would not be too fond of.