COCOA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — For the browsing Santas off Florida’s central coast, the Atlantic Ocean felt extra just like the North Pole than the Sunshine State as temperatures on Saturday morning plunged to round freezing, whereas freeze warnings had been in place for no less than half of the state.
Parts of the Florida Panhandle had wind chills that dipped into the only digits on Saturday morning, and inside elements of central Florida had temperatures plunging as little as 27 levels Fahrenheit (minus 2.7 Celsius levels).
“It’s a frigid start to your #ChristmasEve across the area,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee tweeted.
Miami was among the many final holdouts of heat climate within the U.S. on Friday, however by Saturday morning temperatures had dipped to beneath 50 levels Fahrenheit (10 levels Celsius) for the primary time in nearly a 12 months. South Floridians had been on the look ahead to falling iguanas. The cold-blooded reptiles that reside in Miami suburbs usually grow to be immobilized when temperatures drop beneath 40 levels Fahrenheit (4.4 Celsius levels).
Despite the frigid temperature, the 14th annual Christmas Eve Surfing Santas pageant was held Saturday morning at Cocoa Beach on Florida’s Space Coast.
The occasion has grown from 10 surfers wearing Santa costumes when it began in 2009 to tons of of members on surfboards, boogie boards and paddle boards in years previous. Close to 140 surfers braved the frigid water Saturday morning. Almost 10,000 spectators confirmed as much as cheer them on, and a beachside restaurant distributed free sizzling cocoa to assist them keep heat, in keeping with organizers.