Are You Finally Thawing Out?
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118427)
Gainesville, Florida
February 7, 2023 5:18pm CST
I meant to post this over the weekend, but you know...life sometimes gets in the way and we forget to do things. Anyway, I came across this temperature map of the US last Friday. It showed that basically the entire country was experiencing cold weather, with the exception of Florida (circled on the map), where I live. It seems that Florida was the one relative warm spot in the country, and all I could think of was, "better not go to Disney World this weekend, the entire population of the country will be there." And yes, it was an absolutely gorgeous weekend, and yes, Disney was overcrowded as normal.
But theme parks aside, I was seriously wondering about many of you who are still enduring colder weather while us Floridians are enjoying warm sunshine, sandy beaches, and piña coladas. Do you ever just want to pack up the car and head south on a spontaneous road trip? I know at least one myLotter is doing that as we speak (yes, I'm looking at you @FourWalls!) And poor @LindaOH, who lost her hot water and heat in her home, was definitely dreaming of soaking her toes in the sands of Key West! I almost wanted to drive up and kidnap her and hubby and give them a glorious weekend in the sun.
Don't worry folks, spring is right around the corner. I promise! And then you can rub your gorgeous weather in my face as I sit here complaining about how hot and humid it is in the Sunshine State.
Where am I going with this discussion? I have no idea. I'm just hoping that all of you are staying warm out there. If not, come see me in Florida. Best case scenario is you enjoy a tropical mini-vacation; worst case scenario is you endure a one hour lunch with me.
21 people like this
19 responses
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Feb 23
You mean you don't like to lay out on the beach in 40 degree weather? What kind of Jersey girl are you? lol
3 people like this
@NJChicaa (115972)
• United States
7 Feb 23
@moffittjc I don't like cold weather.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Feb 23
@NJChicaa I'm starting to feel the same way. But on the flip side, I don't like hot weather either. I wish I could find a happy medium and discover somewhere that has a mildly cool temperature year round, but still have the sunshine like Florida does.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (457952)
• Switzerland
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc We did and we made the mistake to think that winter was over. Of course NOT, winter will be here until the end of March.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
@LadyDuck The way global warming has wrecked havoc on our weather patterns, I’m never really sure when one season starts or ends.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I hope you enjoyed that one day of beautiful temperatures!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155957)
• United States
8 Feb 23
I would like nothing better than for you to kidnap us and take us down to Florida. We have hot water now but still no heat. We are SO LUCKY that the weather has been warmer this week. Yesterday it was in the 50s...the same as the temperature in the house! 41 days until spring.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@LindaOHio I’ve got just the place in mind for you. It’s on Cudjoe Key.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I like it when it's cold inside my house, but not that cold! I think the lowest I've ever seen it inside my house was 58, and that was borderline too cold for me.
Maybe one day I'll win the lottery and just buy you a house in the Keys!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155957)
• United States
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc Okie dokie. We'd like to be on a canal. Thanks!
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
8 Feb 23
After the freezing rain last week, we finally got made it up to 60 today. The rain will be visiting this weekend, so the temps will nosedive. But not as cold as before. Still a few weeks of winter here in Tennessee. But you know I love the cooler weather. No heat or humidity for me. Enjoy Disney and Eeyore of course.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
We’re already experiencing springlike weather here in Florida, but I’m willing to bet we still get one or two more cold blasts again in March. It seems like it happens every year, ruining spring break for millions of college kids. Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@CarolDM We have same problem anytime there is an outdoor festival here in Florida. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just rain, but for some reason we always seem to get the craziest lightning storms whenever there is an outdoor festival.
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc The spring breakers have always gotten crappy weather it seems. Just like when they have the huge outdoor country music (CMA fest) festival here, it usually rains.
1 person likes this
@Fa_Maverick (9458)
• Australia
23 Feb 23
It was 41C yesterday... No thoughts, just puddle.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 23
Wow, so you can relate to the hell I go through living in my area, with our brutal summers and all.
Have you been swimming a lot as a means to cope with the heat?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Mar 23
@Fa_Maverick But are you going to the pool on a daily basis just to cool off from the heat?
That’s very admirable that you keep doing the charity swims.
1 person likes this
@Fa_Maverick (9458)
• Australia
5 Mar 23
@moffittjc I did do that charoty swim did like 22km got another one to do for march
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28443)
•
7 Feb 23
Our snow and coating of ice have melted. There are still a few little piles of snow here and there in ditches, but very few. However, Wednesday night and Thursday, we are supposed to have some rain and 50-60 MPH winds! Then they are now talking about sleet for Friday. Time will tell.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Feb 23
See....doesn't Florida look nicer and nicer? lol. Who wants to deal with ice and wind and sleet when you could be dealing with sand and palm trees and coconut oil?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@MarieCoyle You think it's hot there, try surviving a summer in Gainesville, which is in the center of the state where we don't get any sea breezes whatsoever. It's even hotter than Tampa/St Pete!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28443)
•
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc
And bugs. LOTS of bugs, LOL!!
I like Florida a lot. But I do have to say summers in the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area are horrendously hot!
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86732)
• United States
8 Feb 23
Yes, but it is only 17F right now. It is lovely and tropical Jeff.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86732)
• United States
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc 
I am an assimilated Coloradan..from even colder St Louie
I am an assimilated Coloradan..from even colder St Louie1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
Lovely and tropical at 17 degrees? Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@RebeccasFarm I like Colorado. Beautiful state, My parents owned about 50 acres of property in southern Colorado when I was a kid. We'd spend our summers out there. The property was on a mountaintop where it snowed all year round. But it never felt cold in the summer, even when it was snowing! I wonder if it even does that anymore, with global warming and all.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
8 Feb 23
I never plan on what I’m doing, but I plan for an escape from the cold when they start talking the dirty S word.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc — it’s like playing the stock market. I knew better than to leave in December because it was freaking cold in Florida, too (they were issuing wind chill warnings for Tampa for wind chills in the 30s [above zero for those of you in New England ]). And, what do I do if there’s a cold spell in March? Of course, in March the cold spells don’t last very long, but still….
]). And, what do I do if there’s a cold spell in March? Of course, in March the cold spells don’t last very long, but still….1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
You are the one smart one who knows when it’s time to get out of Dodge!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
@FourWalls You could always head south to Miami or Key West if a late season cold front hits Florida!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95082)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Feb 23
It hasn't been bad here. I hope Linda's furnace gets fixed tomorrow. If I had an extra bed I would have had them. My house is cool but not as much as theirs right now.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95082)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc I am glad she didn't have problems the week before. It would have been to cold for them to stay in their house as we were in the teens and sometimes single digits. Our pellet burner stopped during that but we have a furnace also.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I wish I could help Linda as well. At least I can try to send warm thoughts her way.
Happy to hear your weather is cooperating.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95082)
• Marion, Ohio
9 Feb 23
@moffittjc The furnace is what's real bad this time of year. Some houses can be hard to keep warm
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Feb 23
The weekend was actually warmer than the last two weeks have been here in Eugene. A little wet but up to 50.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
Well, not to rub it in, but it hasn't even been getting DOWN to 50 here in Florida!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
I think you made a good choice!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@DianneN So the state is growing on him finally?
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246643)
• United States
9 Feb 23
@moffittjc Ya think?
Even hubs loves it down here now. He used to hate Florida, but did it all for me
Even hubs loves it down here now. He used to hate Florida, but did it all for me1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
I wouldn’t mind if it was either cold or hot, I just wish that whichever one Mother Nature chooses, she sticks with it longer than a day or two at a time. I’m tired of it being freezing cold one day and burning hot the next day. At this time it’s f year, that’s usually how it is in Florida.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 23
@just4him Climate change really has affected everything, hasn't it? I hope we can find answers and somehow restore balance to nature again.
1 person likes this
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
11 Feb 23
@moffittjc It seems like it's the trend all over now. When I look out my patio door, I should see snow at this time of year. Instead, it's green. It's in the 40s today when it should be in the 20s.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
There has been a warmup this week in many parts of the country. Spring is knocking on the door, but winter isn’t quite ready to let go yet.
Does it feel weird for you to see other people talk about winter when you’re in your summer?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325651)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 23
@moffittjc Some of the stories about extreme cold, icy roads, etc are a bit mouth-dropping for me but I'm more used to it now.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I’ve been seeing tons of cardinals here in my neighborhood. I guess spring is well on its way.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 23
@RubyHawk Spring is in full swing here in Florida. The yellow pollen is already covering everything.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
9 Feb 23
@moffittjc Spring is only a little over a month away, seems it got here a little early. It was seventy degrees here today. very nice.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169893)
• United States
8 Feb 23
I would say it is seasonable. Although we will be having a couple of warm days starting today. It will be 65 today and 66 tomorrow. Can't say I am complaining!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I wouldn’t be complaining about those temperatures either. That’s exactly how I like it.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73368)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Feb 23
Yeah but the temps in my area of Florida are making my head crazy. Down in the 50s at night, 60s during the day now going up to 80 on Friday and down to 62 on Saturday, It is like living on a roller coaster,
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
That is the one part of this time of year I don’t like…the roller coaster ups and downs of our temps. And to make matters worse, I noticed a light coating of yellow pollen on my truck this morning.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
I’ve heard a lot of people mention that it’s been a warmer winter than usual. And it has been here in Florida too. We had 4 days at Christmas where the temps dipped into the 20s, and then 2 days in January where it did the same thing, and that’s it. I think I actually wore long pants maybe less than a week this entire winter. I’ve been in shorts and t-shirts the rest of the time.
@moffittjc (118427)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 23
Being from the Philippines, you're probably not used to the cold weather! Or, have you been in Germany long enough to become acclimated to the weather?
