On Saturday afternoon, the cold front was located just north of Lake Okeechobee. The strong winds have started to impact North and Central Florida.

The winds, mainly coming from the north, will continue to clear the peninsula and allow the clouds to dissipate overnight. The clear skies at night are what’s also going to allow the temperatures to plummet. Actual low temperatures will be in the low to mid 20s along the panhandle, around the low 20s across North Florida, mid 20s for East Central Florida, the Tampa Tampa Bay Bay Area through Sarasota will be between the low to mid 30s, while South Florida will remain around the mid to upper 30s.

Wind chill, driven by strong north winds, will make temperatures feel much colder. Temperatures on Sunday are expected to be around 7 AM. Will feel below freezing for South Florida. Anywhere between Miami and Naples, temperatures will feel below 30°F. Along the Tampa Bay area, temperatures will feel like the mid 20s, while Central Florida will have feel-like temperatures in the low teens. The Gainesville area through Jacksonville will have feel-like temperatures in the single digits, while the panhandle will have feel-like temperatures between 11 and 13°.

Sunny skies will prevail across Florida on Sunday, but temperatures will be cold by Sunday afternoon. This is a frigid air mess that takes over, and the sun is not going to warm us up much. By 3 PM Sunday, temperatures across the panhandle will be in the low 40s, low 40s across North Florida, while Central Florida will stay closer to 45°. South Florida, including the southwest region, will remain in the upper 40s to low 50s. The keys will be the warmest spot with temperatures only reaching 54°F

The strong winds are not only making the temperatures feel colder even through the afternoon on Sunday, but they’re bringing extremely dangerous conditions in the Marine area. There are Gail warnings in effect throughout the day on Sunday along both coasts of Florida. Northwesterly winds up to 45 kn are possible across all waters, and seas could reach 15 feet.

Snow in Florida?

Saturday afternoon, a few flurries were reported in the Tallahassee area, but they are melting as they fall onto the ground. For Florida, the timing of the two will be crucial to the chance of snow, which, if any, would be in the Tampa Bay area. We do not expect accumulations to pile up on the floor; most of it, if any, will melt before it hits the floor. Please pay closer attention to the temperatures and care for those most vulnerable. Dangerously cold temperatures will take over the state starting this weekend and continuing through Sunday.

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 — 013026 ICE Out Protest DRS 13

Kaitlin Bennett, a conservative social media personality, records a video during an ICE Out! protest in Turlington Plaza in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Delia Rose Sauer/WUFT News)

As freezing temperatures continue to plague parts of northern Florida, Gainesville residents and University of Florida students are preparing for a sudden drop in temperature over the weekend, leaving Gainesville natives grappling with freezing mornings and altered routines.

According to FPERN meteorologist Irene Sans, the unusual cold snap is being driven by a strong Arctic air mass, bringing the usual warm Florida weather to well below seasonal averages.

Sans described the sudden temperature drop as unusual, saying the city has not experienced this type of weather in close to 10 years.

As the warming and cooling of the atmosphere fluctuates, undulations are formed, creating a more extreme effect on top of the already freezing temperatures, said Sans.

“The extremes are going to be more extreme, and they are going to be more abrupt,” she said.

Cold spells in North Florida are often short-lived, but this system is expected to bring unusually sharp drops in temperature over a short period of time. Rather than having a smooth, steady decrease in temperature, forecasts point to a rapid descent into freezing conditions, resulting in a deep freeze that is uncommon for Gainesville if the freezing temperatures end up lasting that long.

As cold conditions near, students and locals alike are preparing for what will be a harsh winter weekend. What would have been a beautiful Sunshine State weekend, is now slowly turning into one marked by freezing conditions and heightened safety concerns.

Residents of northern Florida will experience uncomfortable temperatures for only a couple of days, but Sans said that other factors caused by the weather can still catch people off guard.

She encouraged area residents to practice protecting “the seven P’s” — People, Pets, Pipes, Plants, Practice fire safety, Power outages, Proof your home — to safely navigate and prepare for the freezing temperatures.

“Water expands and water contracts. As it cools, it expands which causes the pipes to burst. These are some of the elements in which Floridians unaccustomed to freezing temperatures must take into consideration,” said Sans.

Although the extreme cold will only last the weekend, the unusually low temperatures could pose challenges for residents in the northern parts of Florida unaccustomed to prolonged freezing.

Locals unfamiliar with winter weather often unintentionally turn cold-weather habits into dangerous safety concerns. Actions such as cranking up unused heaters or leaving an oven on overnight for additional heat raise safety concerns and often turn dangerous.

With Gainesville aware of the impending cold spell, attention now turns to how the city is responding as well as what resources are available for the public.

According to Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman, residents will have access to cold night shelters throughout the course of the weekend. Important public safety information as well as information regarding the cold night shelter programs is posted on the city’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The City of Gainesville is also working with Alachua County to identify whether a shelter is needed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center. According to the City of Gainesville, $25,000 funded by federal Community Development Block Grant is set aside annually for this city program.

“We want individuals to know that the city has activated the cold night shelter program at St. Francis House and GRACE Marketplace,” the city said. “They are the two providers under that program, and they can find a warm bed as we certainly don’t want anyone to suffer the cold.”

Eastman said the city communicates with Cold Night Shelter when temperatures are expected to drop below 45 degrees. Emergency shelters operate from Nov. 1 through March 31, and providers are also notified ahead of time to have more beds available.

As city officials rehearse for the cold and prepare emergency protocols, students living in Gainesville find themselves with dashed plans and a weekend filled with heaters and warm blankets.

David Marcovitz, an Innovation Academy student at the University of Florida had originally planned to camp outside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center ahead of the UF-Alabama game. However, he decided to cancel those plans due to the freezing overnight temperatures.

“I was thinking about camping out for the Alabama game on Sunday. I checked the weather and was pretty surprised that it would feel like single digits temperature-wise,” Marcovitz said.

The Fort Lauderdale native said he plans to stay indoors and “layer up” in preparation for the weekend. Marcovitz also mentioned that he was surprised freezing temperatures reach North Florida and finds the cold weather annoying, especially when having to walk to class early next week.

His decision to cancel plans and dress appropriately for the upcoming frigid temperatures mirrors how many University of Florida students are adjusting to the sudden drop in temperatures.

With glacial temperatures on their way to North Florida, city officials, students, and residents hope perpetration and awareness will help minimize the dramatic effects of an unusually cold weekend in Gainesville.

From shelters to dorms, the cold snap is forcing the city to think on its feet, slow down, and bundle up as it braces for one of its coldest weekends in recent years.

A protest to challenge the proposed ICE Detention Center in Bradford County is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at 209 S. Temple Ave. in Starke.

The Douglas Warehouse off U.S. Highway 301 is the proposed site for an ICE detention center. Bradford County commissioners recently voted 3-2 to move forward with a proposal to turn the warehouse in Starke into a 3,000-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

Bradford County Board of Commissioners chair, Carolyn Spooner, said the county has had control of this building for about two years.

The decision allows Sabot Consulting, the advisory firm in charge of drafting this county-led initiative, to present the design plans to ICE for its approval. ICE would then decide if the property is appropriate to move the negotiations into the building phase.

“The county will provide governance and oversight primarily through the sheriff’s office,” said Darren Chiappinelli, co-founder of Sabot Consulting, at the meeting.

Chiappinelli said during his presentation that any county impact would be financially recovered, and no local taxpayer dollars would be used to fund the project. He said hundreds of temporary construction jobs would become available, and an additional 1,000 to 1,250 permanent jobs on-site can be expected.

“Got my support of it,” said Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith when he first looked at the proposal. “It looks viable.”

When asked what he would say to people who argue these jobs are only temporary, Smith said he sells this project as a temporary one. He sees this as an opportunity to rebuild this facility and take advantage of what the county can do to repurpose the building after ICE is no longer in need of the property.

“We have to bring something in that’s making money, not costing money,” he said. “I don’t want to miss an opportunity to bring some funding and upgrade a facility.”

Smith added that if the detention center comes to fruition in Bradford, the people detained there must be treated fairly.

“Yes, we’re enforcing our laws, but we can do that and still treat them as human beings,” he said. “We’re not going to treat them like murderers and rapists because the vast majority are not.”

Bradford County resident Bo Haisten attended the county commission meeting and spoke in support of ICE.

“I love ICE,” Haisten said. “They’re law enforcement and people need to comply.”

Despite supporting ICE efforts, Haisten said she does not like the location of the facility. She lives less than five miles from the proposed detention center. Haisten added that she is OK with the facility being in Bradford County but is not in favor of building it where the Douglas Warehouse is located. Next door to the warehouse is a USA Vegetables and across the street is a Walmart.

“I just don’t understand why it can’t be put somewhere else,” she said. “It’s across from our only really big shopping center here and you got homes right there.”

Spooner was one of two commissioners who voted against moving forward with the proposal. Spooner said the board received the proposal just a few days before it was presented at the Jan 15. county commission meeting. She said one reason she voted against the presentation was because of where the warehouse is located.

“Our goal is to protect the welfare and safety of the community,” she said. “A detention center in that area is contrary to that.”

Spooner said the thought of having upward of 3,000 detainees in the county leaves her wanting to explore other options. Spooner suggested a partnership with the Florida Department of Corrections. She said there is an area called New River that holds a vacant facility and is owned by the Department of Corrections. Spooner said if Bradford County were to have an ICE program, there are 30 acres there, and it would be away from the main traffic flow.

She said constituents brought up how having ICE take over the Douglas Warehouse would benefit the water and sewage infrastructure. Spooner said the county can extend water and sewage to the other end of the county and free up the Douglas space to house businesses.

“We can seek other alternatives like appropriations to get water and sewage to upgrade,” she said. “Then we can seek to market Douglas, and we can actually get some revenue from it.”

Middleburg resident, Teresa Santay, said she first heard of the proposal a day before the scheduled Jan. 15 county commission meeting. She caught wind of the proposal through a Facebook post. Santay said she felt the public sentiment on Facebook was evenly divided, with people in favor and people opposed. Santay lives less than 40 minutes away from the warehouse, with family who have spent a significant amount of time in Starke.

“I feel like everybody should quit acting like any of this is normal,” she said. “Bradford County can affect the outside community.”

Santay said she has spent a considerable amount of time thinking about ICE. If the vote to move forward with this proposal goes back to the county commission, she said she hopes they vote with hearts full of empathy.

Spooner said the next step is to see whether ICE is interested in using the Douglas Warehouse property as an official facility. If the facility is approved by ICE, the proposal will be brought back to the Bradford County Commission for a final vote. She said she wants the community to be aware of when that vote will take place, with the aim of getting public input.

“When you have something as significant as that, it’s our duty to hear from our constituents,” Spooner said. “Hear from the people who live here and who would be impacted by it.”

The next county commission meeting is set for Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 9:30 a.m. County commissioners do not know when and if the final vote will take place at that meeting.

A total of 212 University of Florida athletes have competed in the Olympic Games since the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich. The majority did so in swimming, track and field, or softball.

Now another University of Florida student is looking to join that list of athletes.

With the addition of men’s and women’s flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games, UF sophomore Maci Joncich is making her case to compete for Team USA. After being named to the U.S. Women’s Flag National Team for the second year in a row, she said she believes she has a strong chance of keeping her spot until the Olympics roster is finalized.

Joncich, 19, started playing flag football when she was 6 years old in her hometown of Henderson, Nevada. She had two older brothers who were playing in a league at the time.

“I’m the youngest kid, so I have to tag along,” she said. When she started watching them play, she fell in love with it and joined a league where she was the only girl out of 300 boys.

In a sport long dominated by boys, girls are often underestimated.

“Playing with guys, you’ll catch a ball, and their jaw will drop to the floor,” Joncich said. “They’re like, ‘girls can do that?’”

When she was 14, she joined a club based in Las Vegas. Since flag football wasn’t popular on the West Coast yet, her team traveled all over the country to play. It was at these tournaments that she first got scouted by USA Football.

In 2020, she had a decision to make: basketball or flag football. They were both played in the same season at her high school, and she couldn’t play both at the same time.

“I wake up in the morning and I think about throwing a football and I think about going to play catch with a football,” Joncich said. “I don’t think about shooting baskets.”

That same year, she was invited to try out for Team USA’s 15U team and made it. She then moved up to the 17U team in 2023, where she won a gold medal at the Junior International Cup.

While competing at the national stage, she was also leading her high school flag football team to a 2024 Class 4A State Flag Football Championship back home and earning the title of 4A Player of the Year.

At the same time, she was deciding where she wanted to go to college. She wanted somewhere that had good academics and flag football. She chose UF after being accepted into the honors college and is currently pursuing a degree in applied physiology and kinesiology.

She first met the UF Women’s Club Flag Football coach, Joshua Saunders, at a tournament in 2021.

“I literally laughed at him,” she said when he told her about the program, as she wanted to go to a school that had sanctioned flag football.

Saunders also coaches for the 17U Girls U.S. Flag National Team and Robinson High School in Tampa, where he has won 10 FHSAA Flag Football State Championships.

He said he saw right away that Joncich was “wildly competitive” and “always looking for ways to be super successful.”

Shortly after graduating high school, she was invited to the adult trials for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which invites 60 women from across the country to trials and narrows the pool down to an active roster of 12.

“I don’t think I’m going to make the team, I’m going to give it all I got, but I’m just here to learn,” she said when asked about her mindset entering the trials. “I’m here to make relationships with people, I’m here to get better.”

When she got the call from Team USA Head Coach Saaid Mortazavi that she had made the national team, she became the youngest player in team history.

She was only 17.

“Age is just an aspect of when someone was born,” Mortazavi said. “Our view in this whole process is bringing in the best athletes that put us in the best position to win.”

Mortazavi also believes Joncich hasn’t yet reached her full potential.

“There’s so much more she’s going to offer to this game as she continues to grow and develop,” he said.

Her team went on to win gold at the IAF World Championship in Finland, where Joncich rushed and threw for a touchdown in the final.

In 2025, Joncich was selected for the national team for the second year in a row, representing the U.S. in China and Panama.

When asked how she balances academics and athletics, she said, “Definitely a lot of sacrifices that I have to make in order to maintain this lifestyle.”

Every year since her sophomore year of high school, Joncich has missed the first week of classes due to tournaments around the world.

“A lot of people look at what I do and think I’m crazy, but I enjoy it so much,” Joncich said. “I love it because I’m working toward my goals. I’m working toward being a doctor, and I’m working toward the Olympics. I just can’t wait to get there one day.”

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will introduce flag football, a huge step for growing the sport. It will feature five-on-five games for both men and women.

In addition, on Jan. 16, the NCAA approved adding women’s flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program, a move the organization says will expand athletic opportunities nationwide.

Gretchen Miron, the NCAA’s Director of education and external engagement, said the approval process ran from August 2024 to January 2026 and received strong support across all divisions.

“The membership has actually been incredibly supportive,” she said, noting the proposal passed by large margins in Divisions II and III and unanimously in the Division I cabinet.

While individual schools must choose to sponsor the sport, Miron said many institutions are already reaching out. Schools that commit now are expected to begin competition in the 2027-28 school year.

Mieke Rowe, president of UF’s Women’s Club Flag Football team, said it’s crazy to think that it is an NCAA sport now. She said she started playing flag football because it was offered at her middle school, and she wanted to try something new.

“It’s so rewarding,” she said. “So awesome for all those younger girls that finally get this opportunity to play.”

As of today, over 30 states offer girls high school flag football, and 17 have officially state-sanctioned championships. Additionally, roughly 15 to 25 NAIA institutions sponsor varsity programs.

Coach Saunders views the new addition as a way to break down barriers. He says people watch his team and are always amazed by their discipline and focus, but he thinks it shouldn’t be that way.

“I don’t know if they would feel as amazed if it were a guy’s team, but because they’re females and it’s football, they get so amazed,” he said. “That’s what is happening at the college level, they’re showing that it’s not amazing. It’s just what we do.”

Joncich said she wants to show other girls they can do anything they set their mind to, hoping they view her story as motivation to take a chance on something they love, even if it may not be super popular yet.

“When I chose flag football, I had no idea it would become a college sport, I had no idea it would become an Olympic sport,” she said. “It makes me happy that I made the decision I did because of how much it exploded.”

Loudoun County offers ongoing behavioral health training sessions free of charge. Seats are limited and registration is required, except for Rapid REVIVE! The schedule of upcoming virtual and in-person classes for February 2026 is as follows:

Adverse Childhood Experiences Training

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) training aims to raise awareness of the impact of potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance abuse in adulthood. The training teaches that ACEs prevention is a key to improving a community’s well-being. A virtual presentation lasts about one hour, followed by a question-and-answer session. The next training will be held: 

• Monday, February 9, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. 
  • Register by Sunday, February 8, 2026

For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/ChildhoodAdversityTraining.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid training teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. The training also teaches the skills that someone needs to reach out and provide initial help and support to individuals who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. Two versions of the program — a general adult program and a program for adults who interact with youth — will be offered in February.

The next trainings will be held in person at the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services office, 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 210, in Sterling: 

• Adult Mental Health First Aid
  • Friday, February 6, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  • Register by Thursday, February 5.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (Must attend both days)
  • Thursday, February 12 & Friday, February 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
  • Register by Wednesday, February 11.

For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/MHFirstAid.

Opioid Overdose Reversal

REVIVE! is the opioid overdose and naloxone education program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Anyone who uses opioids or knows someone who is using opioids is encouraged to attend. Loudoun County offers two versions of the program — Rapid REVIVE! and Virtual REVIVE! 

Rapid REVIVE! is a shortened format that allows individuals to complete the training in six minutes. After watching a short video and then providing their contact information, participants receive free naloxone nasal spray. They may choose to receive naloxone by mail or arrange pickup. Rapid REVIVE! is available anytime. No registration is required. 

Virtual REVIVE! is a one-hour, scheduled training session that requires registration. Participants who complete the training are also eligible to receive free naloxone nasal spray. They may choose to receive naloxone by mail or arrange pickup. The next training will be held: 

• Monday, February 9, 2026, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  • Same-day registration is available

REVIVE! trainings can also be scheduled upon request. For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/revive.

Suicide Prevention Training

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training teaches three steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. It helps people recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to refer someone for professional help. A virtual training presentation lasts about one hour followed by discussion and practice opportunities. The next class will be held: 

• Monday, February 23, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Same-day registration is available.

For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/SuicidePreventionTraining.

To Request an Accommodation

Anyone who requires an accommodation for any disability in order to participate, including language assistance, should call 703-771-5155 or send an email. Three business days’ notice is requested.

For More Information 

For more information on the prevention and intervention services offered by the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, visit loudoun.gov/MHSADSPrevention or send an email.

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