An Arctic blast is set to invade Florida, bringing freezing temperatures that threaten to shut down Disney World in the first few weeks of January.
According to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva, temperatures in the eastern US could drop to freezing levels in January due to several blasts of cold air moving in.
The first front is set to hit by January 4, dropping temperatures into the 40s in the south and freezing in the north.
And the next cold front is expected on January 8, which ‘could bring some pretty chilly weather,’ DaSilva said.
The upcoming Disney Marathon on January 12th might experience harsh conditions with temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and highs ranging from the 40s to the 50s.
This cold spell might even bring snow to Orlando, a rare occurrence as the last time flurries were reported in the area was a minor snowfall of 0.05 inches back in January 1977.
Earlier this December, another unexpected dip in temperature led the park to close Walt Disney World Resort’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon — which diehard fans at site ‘Inside the Magic’ called an ‘unprecedented’ event.
While the unexpected weather event is likely to lead to further park closures as well as cancelled or delayed flights due to ice issues, upending countless Americans’ travel plans, local meteorologists can’t agree on whether snow will come to Disney.
An arctic blast bound for Florida has parts of Disney World’s resorts set to close, with temperatures that could leave its water parks frozen. The worst of the downturn could see the annual Disney Marathon on January 12th facing temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit
The arctic blast could even mean snow for Orlando, which would be the first time the area saw flurries since a modest 0.05-inch snowfall in January of 1977. Above, a map by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing just how unusual thi cold snap is
‘Remember, when it gets cold around here, the atmosphere typically lacks moisture,’ chief meteorologist Paul Dellegatto Tampa Bay affiliate FOX 13.
‘Can’t get snow without something falling from the sky,’ Dellegatto noted.
But Mark Wool, a meteorologist and warning coordinator with the National Weather Service’s (NWS) offices in Tallahassee, said that snow was still entirely possible.
‘It’s way too early to speculate whether it will snow,’ Wool said. ‘The real cold stuff is set to arrive by end of next week.’
‘Some models do show the cold air in place and then a weak disturbance possibly generating some snow,’ the NWS meteorologist told local paper the Tallahassee Democrat, ‘but there’s no model consensus right now.’
‘There’s low possibility, but it’s too early to determine whether it will happen,’ he said.
Freezing temperatures could reach South Florida where Disney is located, depending on how far the Arctic blast reaches.
‘This looks to be the coldest one for Florida,’ DaSilva told TC Palm.
The worst of the downturn could see the annual Disney Marathon on January 12th facing temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with highs in the 40s and 50
Expert observers of the theme park, its devoted fans with ‘Inside the Magic,’ report that Florida’s infrastructure is typically unprepared for this kind of cold weather.
DailyMail.com has contacted Disney World for comment.
Disney’s own transportation, like its monorails, and park operations are no exception: ‘This often leads to mass cancellations, delays, and closures as businesses and visitors alike scramble to adapt,’ the site said.
While snow has been exceedingly rare in Central Florida around Orlando, sleet/snow and other inhospitable icy conditions have been just a little more common.
Sleet/snow was reported around the area back in January, 8-9, 2010, according to the Florida Climate Center, with a similarly mild ‘dusting’ on November 21, 2006.
These kinds of cold blasts are so rare for the Central Florida area that a map placed it at 90-percent unlikely, meaning about a one-in-ten chance of ever happening.
Typically, the Orlando area’s winter temperatures float around 70 degrees.
One other FOX 13 meteorologist, Valerie Mills, noted that this ‘extended cold stretch’ will also impact areas across the American South east of the Mississippi.
Potential ‘freeze concerns’ are still possible, she said.
‘We’re still going to fine tune these as we get closer,’ Mills said, adding that there is still ‘a whole other week’ before the coldest days of this arctic blast are expected.
