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Freeze Warning Applicable To Pets, Plants, Homeless

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2008

TAMPA - The rush of frigid air forecasters say will drain over Florida today will produce a night fit for neither man nor beast.

And probably not fit for many plants either over most of West Central Florida, where temperatures are expected to fall into the 30s as far south as Sarasota and reach freezing or below at many locations.

The National Weather Service is warning of a hard freeze north of the Tampa Bay area that could last up to six hours in Hernando County and five hours in Pasco County.

The weather service says people should bring pets inside or keep them in a sheltered area tonight.

Pasco County will open four shelters for the homeless or for people with inadequate heat. The shelters are:

-- Holy Ground Homeless shelter, 8835 Denton Ave., Hudson. Hot meals and transportation will be provided. Details: (727) 863-9123.

-- First United Methodist Church of New Port Richey, 5991 Indiana Ave., New Port Richey. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

-- Hope Lutheran Church, 12321 Canton Ave., Hudson. Doors open at 5 p.m. Details: 727) 359-6538.

-- Community Chapel, 5320 First St., Zephyrhills. Doors open at 6 p.m.

It also will be a night to cover sensitive plants or bring those pots indoors or cover them.

The covering is meant to trap the earth's heat that dissipates into the air after dark.

However, the breeze tonight of about 10 mph or higher could make it difficult to keep coverings on the plants. If possible, the coverings should be weighed down.

The breeze also will produce wind chills Wednesday morning in the middle or low 20s around Tampa Bay and 20 or lower from Hernando County north.

The weather service wind chill advisory runs from midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday.

For Tampa, the wind chill is forecast to be about 44 degrees at 8 p.m. today and drop to 22 degrees by 6 a.m. Wednesday.

In Pasco County, the wind chill at 8 p.m. should be about 42 degrees and fall to 20 degrees about 5 a.m., staying at that temperature until at least 8 a.m.

The coming cold snap probably won't be a huge concern for strawberry growers in eastern Hillsborough County, said Ted Campbell, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

Temperatures shouldn't dip low enough to cause serious damage to the crop or young fruit.

"At this point in the year it will probably toughen the plant," Campbell said.

Temperatures will have to fall to about 28 to seriously damage strawberries, Campbell said.

Growers will be watching the temperature tonight and be ready to turn on sprinklers if temperatures drop too low.

For residents of areas where a freeze is forecast, covering the plants should keep them from being severely harmed.

Home sprinkler systems can't pump out the volume of water necessary for icing the plants, Campbell said.

Citrus grower Joe Hancock isn't too worried about the forecast for his grove in northern Pasco County.

He will check the forecast later in the afternoon. Though the weather service expects a freeze of up to five hours in Pasco, temperatures need to fall to 28 degrees for four hours or longer to damage the fruit.

Homeowners with young citrus trees need to wrap or otherwise cover the trunk up to the location of the graft. A freeze may damage some leaves and branches, but the tree will survive if the graft is protected, Hancock said.

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