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Chill, wind worry farmers; sailors 'excited'

By ASJYLYN LODER
Published January 8, 2006

The cold weather that settled over west central Florida Saturday night was welcomed by sailors, but was a source of anxiety for local farmers.

"Usually, cold weather means that there will be wind, so while people are bundled up, they're excited," said Linda Rodgers, general manger of the Davis Islands Yacht Club, where boats were competing Saturday and today for the club's 2006 Commodore's Cup.

"It should be a great two days of sailing," she said.

There was no such enthusiasm for the cold snap from growers with strawberries, citrus, and other crops in the field.

"We're just watching the weather," said Brooksville blueberry farmer Larry Davis. He planned to spend the night using sprinklers to protect his 15 acres of plants, a method best suited for calm weather. Davis still feared he might lose some plants. "There's always a risk if the wind blows really hard."

With sunshine and higher temperatures in the forecast, and Friday night's lows slightly warmer than predicted, the brief freeze was not expected to have a significant impact on local agriculture.

The National Weather Service issued an overnight freeze warning Saturday for interior sections of Hillsborough County, east of Interstate 75, and all but the coastlines of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

John McMichael, a meteorologist with the service, forecast overnight lows Saturday of 40 degrees in St. Petersburg, 38 degrees in Tampa, and 25 degrees in Brooksville.

McMichael predicted that today's temperatures will rebound into the mid to upper 60s, with tonight's lows ranging from the upper 40s and lower 50s in Pinellas County to 35 to 40 degrees in Citrus County.

[Last modified January 8, 2006, 04:43:43]