Frost was expected to form in some parts of South Florida as the region experienced a New Year’s Eve that’s been one of the coldest in decades. And yes, there were some cold-stunned iguanas.
On Wednesday morning, Fort Lauderdale saw a temperature of 46 while Miami saw one of 47, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. The region hasn’t been that cold since New Year’s Eve in 2000 when temperatures clocked in at 40 in Fort Lauderdale and 42 in Miami.
This week’s cold front is shaping up to be even chillier than originally predicted, with high temperatures in some areas falling short of forecast highs on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. Instead of highs in the upper-60s, some areas won’t budge past the low- to mid-60s.
Despite plenty of sunshine Wednesday, “high temps will struggle to reach the lower 60s around (Lake Okeechobee) and mid/upper 60s over the rest of South Florida,” the weather service wrote.
The cold temperatures will spill into New Year’s Day, with frost likely to appear into Thursday morning as low temperatures remain in the 40s with high temperatures in the 60s.
Frost advisories are most likely to be issued for areas around Lake Okeechobee but could extend as far east as inland Palm Beach County where the frost coverage is widespread, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Molleda.
And even in areas where frost advisories likely won’t be issued, “a good possibility” of frost patches could be seen as far south as inland Miami-Dade County, according to the weather service.
A frost advisory hasn’t been issued for Palm Beach, Broward or Miami-Dade counties since January 2023, Molleda said.
“Patchy frost” is most likely to appear on cars or rooftops, Molleda said.
And though South Florida isn’t quite seeing freezing temperatures, the cold is making an impact as frozen iguanas may be spotted falling from trees.
“When temperatures drop to near freezing or below, nonnative green iguanas and other nonnative reptiles can go into a state of torpor, where they temporarily lose all muscle control. This can sometimes cause green iguanas to fall out of trees or other vegetation,” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has written.
Molleda said a “very gradual warming trend” will begin in the next couple of days with Sunday seeing near normal temperatures for the beginning of January in South Florida.
