Icy temps blanket area

As a second arctic blast in as many weeks pushed into the southernmost parts of the state, Central Florida was blanketed with sub-freezing temperatures again this past weekend, adding to an already record run of cold.

In the wake of some light snow flurries, ice stayed behind in some areas, with a hard freeze keeping temperatures below 32 degrees until after 10 a.m. Sunday.

Most of Orange County experienced a high temperature Saturday that was 10 degrees colder than the average low.

Beginning Jan. 2 the mercury began to fall, as a blast of cold originating in northern Canada pushed through the South. Record lows were neared or set repeatedly over the course of the next week. Orlando saw two record lows in a four-day span, with a low of 31 on Jan. 7, tying a record set in 2001.

As even more cold air surged through behind a front that dropped snow and sleet in the area, another record would be equaled that had stood untouched for nearly 30 years. Monday, Jan. 11 saw a low of 29 degrees, last seen in 1982.

For most of last week high temperatures would sit below the average low for the area, damaging some crops as citrus growers struggled to deal with the cold.

The end of the cold is coming, for now, with forecasters expecting a return to normal temperatures by the weekend, with lows in the lower 50s and highs in the 70s.