Arctic cold front moves through region

According to the National Weather Service, Historic City News readers will experience an arctic cold front; which will move through St Johns County Monday accompanied by scattered showers and the coldest air temperatures recorded in several years. Northwesterly winds are expected to increase this afternoon to 15-25 mph with higher gusts.

The coldest weather of the front will occur tonight and Tuesday morning, with low temperatures in the teens across inland locations and low-to-mid 20’s along the coast.

As a result of the cold front, St. Johns County is under a Lake Wind Advisory with northwest winds of 20 – 25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph expected the remainder of the day. In addition, the County will be under a Hard Freeze Warning from 2 – 9 a.m. Tuesday morning with 6 to 12 hours of hard freeze conditions possible. A Wind Chill Warning will also be in effect from 4 – 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning as dangerously low wind chill values could result in hyperthermia, frostbite, or even death if proper safety precautions are not taken.

Residents are encouraged to exercise precaution in coping with cold weather conditions, stay indoors when possible, and bring pets and plants inside. Exposed outdoor pipes should also be insulated while indoor pipes should be allowed to drip. Individuals and families utilizing indoor space heaters or fires are reminded to carefully monitor these heat sources.

For more information and additional safety tips, please visit the National Weather Service Jacksonville Site at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax.