Alert archive / Florida / Hard Freeze Warnings in 2018

Hard Freeze Warning 2, NWS Tallahassee, FL

January 3, 20185 counties in Florida; 5 counties in Georgia; Coffee County, Dale County, Geneva County, Alabama

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this hard freeze warning at Jan 3, 2018, 2:24 PM EST for 5 counties in Florida; 5 counties in Georgia; Coffee County, Dale County, Geneva County, Alabama. It took effect at Jan 4, 2018, 1:00 AM EST. It was in force for 7 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jan 3, 2018, 2:24 PM EST (19:24 UTC)
In effect from: Jan 4, 2018, 1:00 AM EST
Expired: Jan 4, 2018, 8:00 AM EST
In force: 7 hr
Issued by: NWS Tallahassee, FL

Counties Coffee County, AL, Dale County, AL, Geneva County, AL, Dixie County, FL, Lafayette County, FL, Madison County, FL, Taylor County, FL, Walton County, FL, Berrien County, GA, Brooks County, GA, Cook County, GA, Lanier County, GA, Lowndes County, GA

The radar

The Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:22 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 42 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1005 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this hard freeze warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this hard freeze warning went out at Jan 3, 12:45 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 12:45 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1245 PM EST Wed Jan 3 2018

.AVIATION [Through 18Z Thursday]...

Low clouds persist at VLD early this afternoon on top of lingering
snow/sleet cover, but these should move southeast of the terminal
later this afternoon. Otherwise, VFR conditions will persist
throughout the period with clearing skies tonight through
Thursday. Light northerly/northwesterly winds will prevail.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION [940 AM EST]...

.NEAR TERM [Through Today]...

A sharp, potent upper level trough continues to move eastward
across our area this morning, while a surface low continues to
rapidly deepen just east of our area along the northeastern coast
of FL. As this occurs, the area of snow and mixed precipitation
across south central GA and the FL Big Bend is clearing from west
to east this morning, and is expected to completely end across our
area by noon. In the wake of this precipitation, clearing skies
will occur with highs rising into the 40s for most of our area
this afternoon. In south central GA, highs will likely remain in
the mid-upper 30s as overcast skies should linger into the
afternoon and limit heating; also, light snow cover could keep
temperatures slightly cooler near and east of the I-75 corridor.

.SHORT TERM [Tonight Through Friday]...

The deep trough that has been plaguing the Central and Eastern U.S.
will finally begin to retreat northward on Friday. At the surface
high pressure is centered over the Great Plains and a nor'easter is
headed up the Atlantic Coast. A cold dry air mass will remain over
the Southeast. POPs will be near zero on Thursday and Friday. Skies
will be mostly sunny/clear. Despite the abundant sunshine highs will
be in the lower to mid 40s. Lows will be in the lower to mid 20s.

.LONG TERM [Friday Night Through Wednesday]...

In the upper levels a trough remains over the Eastern U.S. A
shortwave will move through on Monday night. At the surface high
pressure will be over the Southeast until a low approaches on Sunday
night. The associated cold front will move through on Monday
afternoon and evening. POPs on Monday and Monday night are 30 to 60
percent. High pressure will move in once the front passes. Lows will
be in the 20s Friday night and Saturday night. Then lows will be
mainly in the 40s. Saturday will be cold with highs in the 40s but a
warm-up is expected on Sunday and Monday with highs in the 50s and
60s respectively.

.MARINE...

Strong northerly winds will continue until Friday morning. A Small
Craft Advisory is in effect from 11 AM EST to 7 AM EST Thursday
morning. Rain will end by this afternoon.

.FIRE WEATHER...

With a cold dry air mass in place, minimum relative humidity values
will be in the lower to mid 20s this afternoon mainly along and west
of a line from Albany Georgia to just west of Tallahassee. However,
red flag conditions are not expected due to unmet wind and fuel
moisture criteria.

.HYDROLOGY...

River levels are still fairly low. The best chance for rain this
week will be next Monday. Less than 1 inch is forecast with that
system. No flooding concerns.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always
encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they
occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

Tallahassee   25  45  22  45  25 /   0   0   0   0   0
Panama City   28  45  27  46  29 /   0   0   0   0   0
Dothan        23  42  21  43  24 /   0   0   0   0   0
Albany        23  42  21  43  24 /   0   0   0   0   0
Valdosta      24  42  22  42  24 /   0   0   0   0   0
Cross City    26  46  23  46  25 /   0   0   0   0   0
Apalachicola  29  47  27  47  30 /   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM EST Thursday for Waters from
     Suwannee River to Apalachicola FL from 20 to 60 NM-Waters
     from Apalachicola to Mexico Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM-
     Waters from Mexico Beach to Okaloosa Walton County Line FL
     from 20 to 60 NM.

&&

NEAR TERM...Lahr
SHORT TERM...McD
LONG TERM...McD
AVIATION...Lahr
MARINE...McD
FIRE WEATHER...Barry
HYDROLOGY...McD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 3, 10:56 AM EST, 3 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1056 AM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1056 AM     SNOW             THOMASVILLE             30.84N 83.98W
01/03/2018  E1.0 INCH        THOMAS             GA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC ESTIMATED ABOUT 1 INCH OF SNOW IN
            THOMASVILLE.

&&

DVD

Local storm report, Jan 3, 10:59 AM EST, 3 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1059 AM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1059 AM     SNOW             NASHVILLE               31.21N 83.25W
01/03/2018  E1.0 INCH        BERRIEN            GA   PUBLIC

            ESTIMATED AROUND 1 INCH OF SNOW IN NASHVILLE
            GA.

&&

DVD

Local storm report, Jan 3, 11:00 AM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1100 AM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 AM     SNOW             OCILLA                  31.60N 83.25W
01/03/2018  E2.0 INCH        IRWIN              GA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORT OF UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW IN IRWIN
            COUNTY.

&&

DVD

Local storm report, Jan 3, 11:05 AM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1105 AM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 AM     SNOW             ADEL                    31.14N 83.42W
01/03/2018  E1.0 INCH        COOK               GA   PUBLIC

            AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW ESTIMATED IN THE ADEL
            AREA.

&&

DVD

Local storm report, Jan 3, 11:07 AM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1107 AM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1107 AM     SNOW             BERLIN                  31.08N 83.62W
01/03/2018  M2.0 INCH        COLQUITT           GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            2 INCHES OF SNOW IN BERLIN GA.

&&

DVD

Local storm report, Jan 3, 2:03 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
203 PM EST WED JAN 3 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 PM     SNOW             LAKELAND                31.04N 83.07W
01/03/2018  E1.0 INCH        LANIER             GA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ABOUT 1 INCH OF SNOW IN LANIER COUNTY.

&&

DVD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 3, 2:46 AM EST	Small Craft Advisory	TAE		30 hr
Jan 3, 2:11 PM EST	Wind Chill Advisory	TAE	Bay, Calhoun, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and 10 more	19 hr
Jan 3, 2:24 PM EST	Hard Freeze Watch	TAE	Bay, Calhoun, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and 10 more	23 hr

Nearby

Hard Freeze Warnings in Florida, 2018 Hard Freeze Warnings in Georgia, 2018 Hard Freeze Warnings in Alabama, 2018 Every hard freeze warning in 2018

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.