Extreme cold and wind alerts<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 Hey friends, it\u2019s News4JAX\u2019s meteorologist Katie Garner here. I want to make sure you\u2019re prepared for this serious drop in temperatures hitting Jacksonville and all of Northeast Florida.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve got a stack of weather alerts out from The Weather Authority, and it\u2019s important you know what\u2019s happening and when. There\u2019s an extreme cold warning<\/b> from 9 p.m. tonight through 10 a.m. Sunday, a freeze warning<\/b> from 7 p.m. tonight through 11 a.m. Sunday, and a wind advisory<\/b> that kicks in at 3 p.m. today and lasts until 7 a.m. Sunday.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see most of Northeast Florida covered under these alerts right now\u2014if you\u2019re seeing purple and blue on our Exact Track 4D radar, you know it\u2019s time to pay close attention.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t already, drip your faucets<\/b>, keep your heat set no lower than 55 degrees, and double-check your plans for your plants, pets, and pipes.<\/p>\n Major temperature drops and wind risk<\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk numbers. Right now, it\u2019s cold with most spots sitting in the 30s and 40s. Tonight, though, low temperatures are expected<\/b> to fall into the teens and 20s in some places. What you\u2019ll actually feel\u2014the wind chills\u2014could get down to the single digits.<\/p>\n That bitter wind isn\u2019t letting up, either. Gusts are forecast<\/b> to hit 40 miles per hour or higher later today, especially near the coast and inland. These winds could knock down weak tree limbs and cause some power outages, so I\u2019m asking you to be on the lookout and stay prepared.<\/p>\n \u201cHard freezes\u201d are likely<\/b> through Tuesday, and it won\u2019t be until late next week that we see much of a warmup. Our average low for this time of year is about 44 degrees\u2014but early mornings will be much colder: down to the lower 20s for several days.<\/p>\n Winter weather regionally, not just locally<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget\u2014this system is pretty widespread. There\u2019s a low pressure forming off the coast of the Carolinas, and if you have family or friends north of us, especially up in Georgia or Charlotte, they are expected<\/b> to see significant snow. For us in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, though, the main thing is the cold and wind<\/b>, not snow.<\/p>\n Our winter alerts stretch from right here in Jacksonville all the way down through South Florida. It\u2019s rare to see this kind of cold get so far south, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re taking every precaution and asking you to do the same.<\/p>\n