Freeze Watch: Central Florida Prepares for Dangerous Wind Chill and Hard Freeze
A freeze watch is in place for parts of Central Florida as a cold front pushes through, bringing gusty winds, much drier air and a sharp drop in temperatures that will produce wind chills in the 20s and 30s beginning Monday morning.
Cold front sweeps through Sunday, brief showers give way to gusty, dry air
Central Florida saw scattered showers and a few downpours Sunday as a cold front moved through, but the rainfall will do little to ease the region’s worsening drought. Temperatures Sunday still climbed into the mid to upper 70s before cooler air moved in later in the afternoon. The front passed through on Sunday morning and pushed through the region by mid-afternoon, with clouds clearing north to south after lunch and showers tapering off by around 1-2 p. m.
Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch for gusty, very dry conditions
Gusty conditions combined with very low humidity have triggered a Red Flag Warning and a Fire Weather Watch in parts of the area, making it unsafe to burn outdoors. The much drier air following the front will also contribute to the blustery conditions expected Monday.
Dangerously cold wind chills and a Cold Weather Advisory Monday
Monday morning will bring a cold start, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s and wind chills dropping into the 20s and 30s. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m. Monday for those dangerously cold feels-like temperatures. Even in the afternoon, highs will only reach the 50s and conditions will remain breezy.
Freeze Watch and Freeze Warning for Monday night into Tuesday
A Freeze Watch goes into effect Monday night into Tuesday; the National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for Tuesday from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m. in a large swath of Central Florida that includes Celebration, Orlando, Kissimmee, Oviedo and Clermont. During Tuesday’s freeze watch, the NWS estimates sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 degrees are possible. Some spots northwest of Orlando could dip below freezing, and Tuesday morning in some areas could wake up in the 20s with wind chills in the mid to upper 20s.
Local impacts: parks, residents and the metro morning commute
Area water parks will feel the effect of the cold: Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is closed on both Monday and Tuesday this week, and water parks in the region have already closed a few times so far in 2026 because of the cold. Monday afternoon should be bright and chilly, with highs in the lower to middle 50s. Monday night into early Tuesday is expected to be the coldest stretch, with metro lows in the lower to middle 30s and pockets northwest of Orlando possibly below freezing. Residents are being urged to cover plants and bring pets inside during the watch.
How meteorologists described the blast of cold and what people felt
The cold air is being described as a sharp blast of Arctic air moving into Central Florida this week, producing the coldest temperatures of the season before a late-week warmup. FOX 35 storm team meteorologist T. J. Springer provided a timeline on February 22, 2026, that showed the cold air gripping the state through Monday and Tuesday, with highs roughly 15–20 degrees below normal for this time of year. Golfers felt the change firsthand: Jacob Bridgeman said he "couldn't even feel my hands" on the final few holes Sunday afternoon at Riviera Country Club.
Freeze Watches have been issued for Marion, Sumter and Flagler counties, and for FOX 51 locales in Alachua, Levy and Gilchrist counties.
When it will ease and other notes from recent coverage
The warming trend begins mid to late week, with highs expected to return to the 80s by Thursday. Other recent local notes: the area suffered a hard freeze at the end of January, and officials have stressed the need to protect vulnerable plants and animals during these cold mornings.
Additional items mentioned in recent reports include NASA rolling the SLS rocket off the launch pad to investigate a helium flow issue, the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics concluding, and HB26-1144, which targets 3D-printed ghost guns by making it illegal to own or distribute the instructions. For readers tracking local reporting, Michelle joined News 6 as a meteorologist in May 2023. If you need help with the Public File, call 291-6000. One local newsroom statement noted a commitment to using Artificial Intelligence technologies to enhance news gathering and presentation. Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.
Next confirmed events: the Cold Weather Advisory runs from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m. on Monday, and the freeze warning covers Tuesday from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m.; the region should begin warming back up by the middle of the week with highs rebound to the 80s by Thursday.
