Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Beware of Falling Iguanas: Chilly Christmas Expected in Florida
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
December 24, 2020

Share

ORLANDO, Fla. — With unexpectedly cold weather in the forecast and pandemic-related curfews in some places, Florida is about to have a Christmas unlike any other in recent memory, and it may involve falling iguanas.

The National Weather Service earlier this week warned that South Florida could experience the coldest Christmas Day in 21 years. Morning lows on Saturday could drop into the low 30s and 40s degrees Fahrenheit, the weather service said.

“ Brrr! Much colder temps expected for Christmas,” the National Weather Service in Miami tweeted earlier this week. “Falling iguanas are possible.”

Because they are cold-blooded reptiles, iguanas living in South Florida trees often become immobile in chilly weather, causing them to drop to the ground when the thermometer plummets, though they are still alive.

In Jacksonville, the temperature was expected to drop 50 degrees, from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday to around 30 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, putting it on the path to being one of the five coldest Christmas Days on record, according to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville.

A squall line with severe storms and fast-moving winds also was headed for north Florida on Christmas Eve.

Santa Was Getting Help From One Florida State Official

Around the state, overnight shelters were opened to take in people who would otherwise be exposed to the cold, including several churches that were planning to hold Christmas services. Many of the shelters promised social distancing and protective equipment to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The pandemic also was impacting a Space Coast tradition — Surfing Santa Day, which takes place the day before Christmas. Normally drawing hundreds of surfers in Santa costumes to the Cocoa Beach surf and thousands of their cheering supporters on the beach, this year’s event was moved online. Participants were encouraged to individually go surfing or paddle-boarding at their favorite spot and post photos or videos to social media.

But Santa was getting help from one Florida state official.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried this week issued “a certificate of animal movement,” permitting Santa Claus and his wife, as well as their reindeer, “to enter and exit all homes, domiciles, encampments, and premises in the state of Florida between the hours of 8:00 PM on December 24 and 7:00 AM December 25, through or over any U.S. border port.”

“Given the challenges of this year, we want to ensure Santa Claus can safely travel the state and spread Christmas joy to all of Florida’s children,” Fried said in a news release.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Its Packaging to Confuse Customers

DON'T MISS

FAA Demands an Accident Investigation Into SpaceX’s Latest Out-of-Control Starship Flight

DON'T MISS

In Marseille, a Shadow Becomes Art in Banksy’s Latest Street Mural

DON'T MISS

Dozens Sickened in Expanding Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recalled Cucumbers

DON'T MISS

Ray Appleton Set to Resume His KMJ Show. E Curtis Johnson Retires

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Communications Boss on Leave After AI-Generated FTA Dossier Debacle

DON'T MISS

Visalia Teen Takes Second Place in Dramatic Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals

DON'T MISS

Newsom Tussles With Local Officials Over Homelessness

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Two Women Suspected in Targeted Shootings

DON'T MISS

Taylor Swift Has Regained Control of Her Music, Buys Back First 6 Albums

UP NEXT

Speaker Johnson Raises Campaign Money in Fresno

UP NEXT

Business Insider Cuts 21% of Workforce, Memo Shows

UP NEXT

Harvard Agrees to Relinquish Early Photos of Slaves, Ending a Long Legal Battle

UP NEXT

Silence on E. Coli Outbreak Highlights How Trump Team’s Changes Undermine Food Safety

UP NEXT

Trump Pardons Tax Cheat After Mother Attends $1 Million Dinner

UP NEXT

NPR Sues Trump Administration Over Executive Order to Cut Funding

UP NEXT

Justice Department Reaches Deal to Allow Boeing to Avoid Prosecution Over 737 Max Crashes

UP NEXT

Low-Income Compton Students Get $225M State-of-the-Art High School Campus

UP NEXT

Everyone Now Has an Opinion on Jake Tapper

UP NEXT

Braves Star Ronald Acuña Jr. to Return Friday From Left Knee Injury

Dozens Sickened in Expanding Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recalled Cucumbers

19 minutes ago

Ray Appleton Set to Resume His KMJ Show. E Curtis Johnson Retires

33 minutes ago

Fresno Unified Communications Boss on Leave After AI-Generated FTA Dossier Debacle

56 minutes ago

Visalia Teen Takes Second Place in Dramatic Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals

2 hours ago

Newsom Tussles With Local Officials Over Homelessness

2 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Two Women Suspected in Targeted Shootings

2 hours ago

Taylor Swift Has Regained Control of Her Music, Buys Back First 6 Albums

2 hours ago

How Trump’s Vow to Revoke Chinese Student Visas Could Hurt California

2 hours ago

Speaker Johnson Raises Campaign Money in Fresno

2 hours ago

2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Panthers-Oilers Final Rematch, Who Is Favored and What to Watch For

3 hours ago

Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Its Packaging to Confuse Customers

Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain, alleging the packaging for Aldi’s store-brand cookies and...

4 minutes ago

4 minutes ago

Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Its Packaging to Confuse Customers

8 minutes ago

FAA Demands an Accident Investigation Into SpaceX’s Latest Out-of-Control Starship Flight

13 minutes ago

In Marseille, a Shadow Becomes Art in Banksy’s Latest Street Mural

19 minutes ago

Dozens Sickened in Expanding Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recalled Cucumbers

33 minutes ago

Ray Appleton Set to Resume His KMJ Show. E Curtis Johnson Retires

56 minutes ago

Fresno Unified Communications Boss on Leave After AI-Generated FTA Dossier Debacle

2 hours ago

Visalia Teen Takes Second Place in Dramatic Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals

2 hours ago

Newsom Tussles With Local Officials Over Homelessness

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend