JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — "Back in 1982, we would normally have had over 10 freezes by now," wrote First Coast News Chief Meteorologist Tim Deegan in an email this week.
Jacksonville's first freeze of the season is officially in the books as of Tuesday, January 18 with a morning low of 30 degrees. It's one of the latest ever recorded.
"Records go back 150 years!" added Deegan.
Needless to say, it's a big deal in the world of weather.
The latest first freeze recorded at the Jacksonville International Airport was back in 1995 on January 25. This record is based on the airport location for Jacksonville's climate data, which was established in 1971.
1971? But Deegan said records go back 150 years.
They do.
However, if you look at all of the climate data dating back to 1871 before the location changed there was an even later first freeze for Jacksonville.
March 31, 1964.
So, no matter how you look at it 2022's winter season still recorded one of the latest first freezes in history for Jacksonville. Just know that climate data has been recorded in a couple of places through the years meaning some variables have changed here and there.
Tuesday morning lows across the First Coast dipped at or below freezing. It was a cold and frosty start for all of us across southeast Georgia and northeast Florida!
Here's a tweet from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville this morning confirming the first official freeze of the season:
And the pattern looks to stay quite chilly, so keep your jackets and boots nearby. If you're wondering what the criteria for frost is, Meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz breaks it down in this video: