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Florida Cold Weather: T-Shirts or Sweaters?

When the temperatures drop in the Tampa Bay area, how do you brave the outdoors? We’d like to get your take, Tampa Bay!

As temperatures dip throughout the Tampa Bay area to possible record-breaking lows for March, we’re wondering this: When it’s cold outside, do you pull out those sweaters and parkas to bundle up like an arctic explorer, or do you shrug it off and keep wearing shorts and T-shirts? Florida winters are quite often a matter of debate. Since snow is about as rare here as finding a Twinkie in a grocery store, there’s often no visible evidence of “the cold.” Sure, we get frost, and sometimes a hard freeze, but they don’t tend to last long. Even so, opinions about the cold can vary. Talk to recent transplants from the north and chances are you’ll find them laughing at Florida natives who pull out the extra blankets to brave a single night of cold…

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Freezing Temperatures Coming Our Way

Cold weather shelters set to open Jan. 12-13.

A blast of cold air is headed in Land O' Lakes' direction. Temperatures are expected to dip into  the freezing range both Wednesday and Thursday nights. “Tomorrow night and into Thursday morning Pasco County will be in the upper 20s, around 27 in Land O’ Lakes,” said Tyler Fleming, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin. “Thursday to Friday it will be a hair warmer, around 30.” With the anticipated freeze, Pasco County Emergency Management has asked its cold weather partners to open at 6 p.m. both nights. The following locations will offer shelter to residents without heat both evenings: There are no shelters in the Central Pasco area at this time, according to Jim Martin, director of emergency management. Anyone …

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Central Pasco's Lack Of Shelters Leaves Homeless Out In The Cold

Homeless man said he had no way to escape last night's freezing temperature.

When Grant Doucette woke up this morning, the ground around him was frozen. With temperatures expected to once again dip into the freezing range tonight, Doucette is bracing for another ordeal, he said. "I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place," he explained. Doucette was employed as a chef until a little over a year ago when layoffs hit, he said. When unemployment ran out, he said, he lost everything. He now lives on the streets most of the time. Lately, he's been staying in a wooded area near the Village Lakes Shopping Center in Land O' Lakes. Passersby heading to the Sweetbay supermarket, 21605 Village Lakes Shopping Ctr., can often see him sitting in a chair on the side of the plaza. While Doucette once had a bike to help him get…

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Central Pasco Without A Shelter In The Cold

Pasco plans to open shelters on the east and west sides of the county Dec. 27-28.

Families without heat and the homeless living in Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel will have to drive to Zephyrhills or toward New Port Richey to get out of the cold. Pasco Emergency Management has asked its Cold Weather Partners to open up Dec. 27-28, but none of those shelters are found in the central part of the county. "They've got five options out there," said Jim Martin, director of emergency management for Pasco County. "Most of the folks we are dealing with are on the west side. The closest one (to central Pasco) is probably in Zephyrhills." Martin explained that Pasco County does not run its own cold weather shelters. Instead, it relies on churches and faith-based organizations to step in and lend a hand. "Unfortunately, we don't …

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Pasco County Braces For Cold Weather

A system expected overnight on Christmas is anticipated to drop temperatures into the low 30s.

The Pasco County Office of Emergency Management is preparing to open cold weather shelters this weekend. According to a news release issued by the agency, a low pressure system will pass through the county overnight on Christmas. This system will bring a 30 percent chance of rain and is expected to drop temperatures into the freezing range. Since extended periods of cold weather can be dangerous to people left without adequate heat, the county intends to open shelter at 6 p.m. on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, the release said. The following cold weather shelters are within a short drive of Land O' Lakes: