Florida, 2000

Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 20, 2000

December 20, 2000 · NWS TBW · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

In Citrus, Sumter, Hernando and Pasco counties, low temperatures dropped into middle 20s and remained below freezing for durations of three to eight hours. In Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee and Highlands counties, low temperatures dropped into the upper 20s and lower 30s and remained below freezing for durations of two to four hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
$1.0 million
Events
9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.

Freezing temperatures were observed over a large portion of West Central Florida during the predawn through late morning hours of December 20th, 2000.Low temperatures dropped into the lower 20s over Levy county with durations below freezing between nine and eleven hours.In Citrus, Sumter, Hernando and Pasco counties, low temperatures dropped into middle 20s and remained below freezing for durations of three to eight hours. Freezing temperatures in Citrus county damaged an estimated one hundred acres of the local citrus crop.In Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee and Highlands counties, low temperatures dropped into the upper 20s and lower 30s and remained below freezing for durations of two to four hours.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 frost/freeze. Local standard time, as filed.

Frost/Freeze, Levy

When
December 20, 12:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Levy forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Frost/Freeze, Citrus

When
December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
Where
Citrus forecast zone
Crop damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Frost/Freeze, Sumter

When
December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
Where
Sumter forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
28.705, -82.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Hernando

When
December 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Hernando forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Frost/Freeze, Pasco

When
December 20, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Pasco forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Frost/Freeze, Polk

When
December 20, 6:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
27.949, -81.698 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Hardee

When
December 20, 7:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Hardee forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
27.493, -81.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Highlands

When
December 20, 7:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
27.343, -81.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Frost/Freeze, Hillsborough

When
December 20, 7:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Hillsborough forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Frost/Freeze
Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, December 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5169379, 5169380, 5169387, 5169382, 5169385, 5169386, 5169381, 5169383, 5169384.