Freeze warning issued for SWFL

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Crank up the heater and keep a sweater nearby, you're about to enter Southwest Florida's version of the Twilight Zone: freezing conditions.

The National Weather Service and other weather outlets have issued a freeze warning for the Fort Myers area for Friday (1 a.m. to 9 a.m.).

Freezing conditions have not hit Fort Myers in more than five years (31 degrees; Jan. 11, 2010).

Southwest Florida will likely be on the edge of the freeze, with some areas seeing 32 degrees or colder and others hanging at 33 or above. The National Weather Service is calling for a low of 33 Friday morning in Fort Myers but a low of 32 five miles west of LaBelle.

Regardless of where that line falls, Friday will likely be the coldest Feb. 20 on record (36 in 1960).

Florida supplies much of the nation's fresh winter vegetables and fruit, with Southwest Florida a leading producer this time of year.

The late-season cold snap means "we're sweatin' it," said Gene McAvoy, Hendry County Extension director and a multi-county vegetable crops specialist.

For locations east of Interstate 75, "it's going to be touch-and-go Friday morning," McAvoy said, adding that if projections hold true, Southwest Florida is "looking at 30, 32 degrees for an hour or two." That means most farms who take the usual precautions could escape with minimal crop damage.

At C and B Farms in Devil's Garden south of Clewiston, workers are covering tender green beans with crop cloth, and will move on to cover other vulnerable produce if time permits. They've also filled irrigation canals with water, which has a warming effect.

"It's not (expected) to be a hard freeze, so we're not pulling out all the stops," said Chuck Obern, farm owner. Besides beans, his most-fragile crops are eggplant, corn and basil.

Wintry blasts through New England and beyond already have hurt demand for Florida fresh produce, Obern noted: "The Yankees aren't buying as many vegetables when they're shut-in. They'll open up the canned or frozen stuff."

Beachgoers and boaters should take caution over the next several days as winds of 25 miles per hour or more out of the north will create seas of 8 feet, according to Gulster.com and the National Weather Service.

Cold weather tips

The cold will affect more than just agriculture.

Bring pets inside a covered area.

Potted plants should be brought inside. If you cover them outside, use a blanket, not plastic.

Do not use charcoal or gas grills inside. They produce deadly fumes.

Do not use extension cords with electric heaters.

Check on elderly neighbors, friends and relatives.

Source: Lee County Emergency Management