Rarely does South Florida hit the 30-degree mark in our thermometers. But this 2022 is surprising us with our days becoming cold and colder! If you look at our records from a decade ago, there were only a handful of occasions where the mercury touched the 32-degree level.
While enjoying cooler days -that’s so unlike us! Finally, wearing outerwear may sound fun, cold weather (in places like Florida) can cause harm in many ways. For instance, if it’s below freezing for too long, fruit on citrus trees will get burned and drop off. Strawberry plants can die. Tomatoes, bell peppers, beans, corn, lettuce, and cabbage will all be wiped out by temperatures below freezing for over eight hours or so. Low temperatures hurt produce.
The local fauna is also affected by unusual cold days. No one wants to see a repeat of 2010 when temperatures remained below 50 degrees for ten days to the Keys. The number of snooks killed by cold weather was incalculable. It caused a moratorium on harvest for the next couple of years.
Winter, in general, is expected to be cooler than average, with the coldest temperatures from late January into early February. Precipitation will be above average in the north and below normal in the south. April and May will be slightly cooler than usual, with near-normal rainfall in the north and well above-normal rainfall in the south. Summer will be hotter and slightly drier than expected, with the hottest periods in mid-June, early and late July, and early to mid-August. September and October will be slightly warmer and much drier than usual, with the hottest period in early September.
Did you notice something odd? While winter will be cooler than usual, summer will also hit the high notes on temperature. That means Florida is not getting colder; it means we should expect more extreme weather in the years to come.
The Florida peninsula has warmed more than one degree (F) during the last century. The sea rises about one inch every decade, and heavy rainstorms are becoming more severe. In the coming decades, rising temperatures are likely to increase storm damage, harm coral reefs, increase the frequency of unpleasantly hot days, and reduce the risk of freezing to Florida’s agriculture. Climate is changing because the Earth is warming.
We are sending much more carbon dioxide into the air than ever; greenhouse gases are increasing, warming the Earth’s surface. Evaporation increases as the atmosphere warms, which increases humidity, average rainfall, and the frequency of heavy rainstorms in many places—but contributes to drought in others
Bottom line?
No, our beloved Florida is far from saying goodbye to its tropical weather and becoming Maine. Nonetheless, these “rarities” will sadly become the norm unless we do something about it. Helping Mother Earth requires even small actions from everyday people like me and you. Let’s keep enjoying this marvelous place and taking care of our planet!
Check out this website here, to learn 45 easy ways to stop global warming from home.

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