There’s no getting around it: It’s cold, Lakeland.
Even Central Florida couldn’t escape the cool blasts of Winter Storm Blair, so we’re staying inside and looking back at some of the headlines on the coldest days we’ve had here in Lakeland.
The day the cold set records
Lakeland’s first coldest day on record took place on Dec. 13, 1962, when temperatures hit a record-breaking 20°. It wouldn’t reach that same low until 1985 when it had back-to-back cold days on Jan. 21 + 22.
That sure puts this weather in perspective, huh? The closest we’ve come to that temperature in the past few days was when temps got to 37° on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
In January 1985, the Tampa Tribune covered the freeze affecting all of Florida.
Screenshot via Newspapers.com
What the headlines said
So, what else was going on in Lakeland the day after the freeze in 1962? Looking back, the Lakeland Ledger reported on upcoming holiday events and Florida Southern’s next basketball game against Georgia State.
The papers also covered the intense weather we were having at the time, saying that the governor would visit to see the citrus crop damage and heat repairs were needed all over town.
How to weather the weather today
Okay, so we’re not breaking records (yet), but that doesn’t mean braving this weather is easy. Thankfully, we have many museums to explore indoors, indoor activity recommendations to keep you warm, and hot soups to indulge in.
Don’t forget to take a peek at what the rest of the season has in store for us. Who knows, maybe this will be a record-breaking year after all.
