HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – You can brrrrr-ace for another chilly night and morning in South Florida.
Temperatures will be in the 50s on Wednesday night, and after about 2 a.m. Thursday is when Local 10 meteorologist Brandon Orr expects the mercury to dip back into the 40s again.
Fort Lauderdale hit a low temperature of 46 degrees Wednesday morning, the coldest since it was 39 degrees back on Jan. 22.
Restaurants are ready, with heaters set up in their outdoor dining areas.
Many South Floridians say this is too chilly for them and they’ll be bundled up inside.
But count northeasterner Anthony Chin among those who love it. He was out having all the piña coladas he could handle on Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s a New Yorker thing,” he said.
Businesses in Hollywood are hoping the unseasonably cool weather gets more people to come out.
Serving up a hot chocolate, one restaurant worker admitted: “I’ll be honest, I’m enjoying it because when it comes summertime, it’s too hot.”
No matter how you choose to stay warm, authorities are warning families to be careful turning on their central heat and space heaters. On Tuesday night, a Miami family had to be evacuated from their home when smoke started coming out of their vents after turning on the heat.
The chill won’t last too long. Temperatures could rise back above 70 degrees Thursday afternoon, and the 80s could make a comeback this weekend.
South Florida may also see some stray rain showers this weekend to interrupt this dry stretch.
For the latest forecast information, head over to the Local 10 Weather Authority page.