A cold front related to the blizzard pummeling the Northeast is chilling Palm Beach County, and as it gets even colder, the county will open cold-weather shelters.
The coldest weather that the county will feel this week will last into the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 24, with the worst of it near sunrise, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. Temperatures could drop into the mid-30s and the low 40s across the county, said Ana Torres-Vazquez, an NWS meteorologist.
Feels-like temperatures across metro areas and along the coast could plummet into the 30s. They could reach the 20s further inland around Lake Okeechobee in the morning on Tuesday, Feb. 24, she said.
“This is a cold front that’s peeling that blizzard over the Northeast,” Torres-Vazquez said. “It’s a very cold air mass that’s dragging right behind it. All that air is pushing into our area from the Arctic.”
The arctic blast has prompted Palm Beach County to open two cold-weather shelters — one in West Palm Beach and another in Belle Glade — overnight from 7 p.m. Feb. 23 to 9 a.m. Feb 24.
Locations of cold-weather shelters in Palm Beach County
Those locations are:
The county does not charge any fees to stay at a cold-weather shelter. Service animals are allowed, but not other pets. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and weapons are banned. Men and women stay in separate areas of the same gym and children are allowed, according to a county spokesperson.
This cold front follows a record-breaking cold front that blew through over the weekend of Jan. 31 and led temperatures in Palm Beach County to drop to the coldest in over a century.
How long will the cold weather last in Palm Beach County?
The cold isn’t expected to hang around for long.
The weather is expected to gradually warm back up into the 70s and 80s starting Wednesday, Feb. 25.
“Once that blizzard moves off into the Atlantic waters and drags that front away from the area, then we should see temperatures return to the climatological conditions,” Torres-Vazquez said.
What is a red flag warning in South Florida?
South Florida is under a red flag warning, which means that the weather conditions could lead to rapid increases in wildfires, according to the NWS.
The warning is in place because the cold air mass is dry and the relative humidity is around the 20% range, which is abnormally low for the region, Torres-Vazquez said. This, coupled with high winds and continued drought conditions, raises the chance for wildfires.
People should be mindful of any activities that involve having an open fire outdoors, like barbecuing or smoking.
“Even that little bit of ignition could potentially lead to fire development and fire spreading, especially because of those winds,” Torres-Vazquez said.
Maya Washburn is a trending news reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cold weather will get even colder in Palm Beach County, shelters open
Reporting by Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
