Serious Threat to Florida Citrus Crop in Coming Days

There could very well be a serious threat of damage inflicted on the Florida citrus business and other warm-season economies in the Deep South in coming days.

The forecast above depicts 850 millibar temperatures in light color contours, where below freezing temperatures are north of the thick blue freezing line, and above freezing temperatures to the south of that thick blue line. As you can see, the thick blue line is edging very close to the southern tip of Florida, leaving Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando in below-freezing temperatures. Light precipitation over the latter two cities could indicate snow - yes, SNOW - would be falling in Florida. This solution has been shown a few times, so the idea of such cold temperatures hitting the state is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. The orange/citrus economy that is based in Florida could be severely damaged if such a solution came true- if snow fell, only time could tell what the impact on the citrus economy would be.

Andrew