Snow Flurries Possible Outside Orlando-Florida

[link to www.local6.com]

8:29 pm EST February 12, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An arctic blast of cold air in Central Florida will likely drop temperatures to record-breaking lows early Monday, and even present the chance for some snow flurries outside Orlando, according to Local 6 meteorologist Michele Cimino.

"The possibility is there, we have to tell you, especially south of Orlando and west to see a snow flurry in the area," Cimino said.

The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for Orange County and most of Central Florida beginning at 4 a.m. Monday.


"We have a hard freeze warning that will remain in effect for tonight for all of Central Florida," Cimino said.

High pressure has taken over in Central Florida and cloud cover Sunday will begin to break up early Monday.

"What that is going to do is take away that blanket and the temperatures start to drop," Cimino said. "We are getting an arctic blast and we are getting freezing conditions. And for our growers, this is a very serious time."

"The potential exists for freezing temperatures over a large portion of Central Florida for both Monday and Tuesday morning," the National Weather Service office in Melbourne said in a hazardous weather statement.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures around 29 degrees in Brevard on both Monday and Tuesday -- with the lowest readings occurring just before sunrise.

Temperatures in Central Florida will begin to rise after a cold start to the week.

"By Sunday, we will get that arctic blast in and we will keep that cold air in for a couple of days and then by the middle and end of the week we will be back in the 70s," Cimino said.

Monday's low temperature in Orlando should be 31 degrees.

"We are going to be mostly clear and it is going to feel very frigid," Cimino said.

Peace