Sunday February 1st 2026

This was a weekend controlled by he weather. Friday was an overcast day with seasonal temperatures. It wasn’t a particularly appealing day for outdoor activity, but the temperature reached the upper seventies. Once the temperature started down, the heat for the weekend was over.

Early Saturday morning, before I committed to leaving the comfort of my bed, a couple of lines of storms complete with heavy rain and lots of wind passed through the area. The trend was set. The temperature made it into the low fifties by early afternoon, but the strong wind from a northerly direction kept the feels like temperature much lower. As the afternoon progressed the temperature dropped steadily.

Driven by all the media hype about the approaching cold and a degree of personal concern, I spent the day doing what I could to prepare. The real problem is my lack of experience with cold in this house. The basic house is not a problem. It has good insulation and double pained windows. The concern is exposed water lines and the uninsolated shed with my clothes washer. I don’t know how much cold they can take. I did what I could to drain a couple of lines and cover others. My plants should be OK and if not, I will replace them. So far (as of Sunday night) my preparations have been enough. It was 24 degrees Fahrenheit outside at 8AM this morning. The day peaked in the mid forties.

Tomorrow morning is forecast to be a little warmer, but still below freezing. By Tuesday, it should be above freezing to start the day. The weather talkers are predicting more cold next weekend. This is the worst winter for sustained periods of cold I’ve experienced in Florida. I had a night in Ocala a few years back that was colder, but it didn’t last. Most winters in this area of central Florida you get a night or two a little below freezing, but not ten degrees. Apparently the last time it was this low was 2010.