Extreme Cold and Frost and Freeze in Florida, January 19, 2003

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1005 PM EST SAT JAN 18 2003

...CORRECTED HARD FREEZE WARNING AREA TO INCLUDE INLAND PASCO CO...

ANOTHER COLD NIGHT UNDER WAY WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE
UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S NORTH TO MID 40S SOUTH.  NORTHWEST FLOW AT
AROUND 5 KNOTS HAS HELPED TO BRING IN HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR OFF GULF...
BUT WINDS IN SOME SPOTS HAVE GONE CALM AND WITH CLEAR SKIES ALLOWING
FOR GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING...TEMPERATURES HAVE DROPPED OFF PRETTY
FAST THIS EVENING.  TWEAKING OF IR IMAGE COLOR SCALE INDICATES
TEMPERATURES ALREADY BELOW FREEZING FROM THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN
HALF OF LEVY COUNTY SOUTH INTO EASTERN HALF OF CITRUS AND INTO
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN HERNANDO COUNTY.  SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS VERIFY THIS WITH 01Z TEMPERATURE AT BKV OF 28 DEGREES
AND BROOKSVILLE FAWN SITE AT 29 DEGREES.  WILL THEREFORE UPGRADE
INLAND PORTIONS OF LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO AND PASCO COUNTIES...AND
ALL OF SUMTER COUNTY TO A HARD FREEZE WARNING AND LOWER TEMPERATURES
TO MID 20S OVER INLAND AREAS.  WILL ALSO ADD EASTERN PORTIONS OF
HILLSBOROUGH...MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTIES TO FREEZE WARNING AS
TEMPERATURES HERE ALREADY BETWEEN 35 AND 40 DEGREES AND WILL ADJUST
WORDING IN WEST CENTRAL GROUP TO SAY LOWER 30S INLAND.  REMAINDER OF
FORECAST APPEARS ON TRACK AND NO OTHER CHANGES PLANNED.

MARINE ALSO ON TRACK AND NO MAJOR CHANGES PLANNED.

.TBW...HARD FREEZE WARNING FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF LEVY...CITRUS...
       HERNANDO AND PASCO COUNTIES...AND FOR ALL OF SUMTER COUNTY.
    ...FREEZE WARNING TONIGHT FOR COASTAL PORTIONS OF LEVY...
       CITRUS...HERNANDO AND PASCO COUNTIES...INLAND PORTIONS OF
       HILLSBOROUGH...MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTIES...AND FOR ALL OF
       POLK...HARDEE...DESOTO AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES.
    ...RED FLAG WARNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR LEVY...CITRUS AND ALL
       INLAND COUNTIES.
    ...FIRE WX WATCH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR INTERIOR GULF COAST
       COUNTIES EXCEPT PINELLAS.

PRC/FA

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
600 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

...HARD FREEZE WARNING THROUGH THIS MORNING FOR
LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO...SUMTER.
...FREEZE WARNING THROUGH THIS MORNING FOR
...PASCO...POLK...HARDEE...DESOTO...HIGHLANDS...EASTERN
HILLSBOROUGH...EASTERN MANATEE...EASTERN SARASOTA...EASTERN
CHARLOTTE...EASTERN LEE.
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY THROUGH THIS MORNING
ALL AREAS.
...FREEZE WARNING TONIGHT FOR
LEVY...CITRUS...SUMTER...HERNANDO...AND PASCO COUNTIES.
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HIGH SEAS BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD OUT
TO 60 NM.

A COLD ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO FUNNEL IN THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURES SO FAR THIS YEAR INTO WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE FELT ALONG THE
NATURE COAST THROUGH 8 AM THIS MORNING WHILE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES
WILL BE BETWEEN 30 AND 35 DEGREES THROUGH 9 AM. TEMPERATURES WILL
MODERATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY BEFORE TEMPERATURES FALL OFF AGAIN
TONIGHT. WITH A DEVELOPING WEST WIND...MANY AREAS WILL BE SPARED
FROM A PROLONGED PERIOD OF BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THE
EXCEPTION WILL BE ALONG THE NATURE COAST WHERE A FREEZE WARNING IS
IN EFFECT FROM PASCO COUNTY NORTHWARD.

ALTHOUGH MANY AREAS WILL NOT EXPERIENCE FREEZING TEMPERATURES
TONIGHT...CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN QUITE CHILLY..ESPECIALLY FOR INLAND
LOCATIONS. RESIDENTS PLANNING TO BE OUT THIS EVENING SHOULD DRESS
ACCORDINGLY. SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOTHING IS RECOMMENDED...AS THEY
WILL INSULATE YOU BETTER THAN A SINGLE COAT OR JACKET.

THE HIGH WINDS EXPERIENCED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS THE LAST 24 TO 48
HOURS WILL DIMINISH SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HOWEVER...SEAS
ALONG SOUTHERN SECTIONS WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH NOON WITH SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAINING IN PLACE. FISHERMEN AND OTHER SMALL CRAFT
OPERATORS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE TRIPS UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE ON
SUNDAY.

FINALLY...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL INLAND AREAS TODAY
AS DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST. IF PLANNING A BARBECUE...PLACE THE GRILL
NEAR A CONCRETE BUILDING...AWAY FROM TREES AND UNDERBRUSH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY:

HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH LATE
MONDAY WITH SLOWLY MODERATING CONDITIONS. ONE MORE COLD MORNING
MONDAY MORNING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY WARMING TEMPERATURES FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE FREEZE WARNINGS FOR
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

JTD