A bitter chill is creeping across North Florida and South Georgia as the region prepares for the coldest dawn of the season. By Friday morning, thermometers in numerous inland locations might drop to 29°F, prompting the first widespread Freeze Warning of the fall-to-winter transition.
According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, the Freeze Warning applies to a large number of counties, including Suwannee, Baker, Nassau, Bradford, Union, Gilchrist, and Alachua in Florida, as well as portions of Coffee, Appling, Wayne, and Pierce counties in Georgia. The warning is in place from 3 to 9 a.m. on Friday.
Residents are encouraged to protect vulnerable plants and outdoor pets, as well as check on their neighbors, particularly the elderly or those without heat. The government recommends householders cover exposed pipes and disconnect outdoor hoses as sub-freezing air settles beneath a clear sky.
Cold air continues to stream south from a deep trough over the eastern United States as part of a larger December cold spell that extends from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. Friday afternoon will be crisp, with highs in the upper 50s to near 60°F before another cold night.
Temperatures will moderate slightly this weekend, with lows climbing into the mid-30s and 40s. Still, forecasts warn that another early December frost might come by midweek as the chilly pattern persists.