Green iguanas sitting by lake — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Lacey Lin Photography
From the Great Lakes to Florida and Texas, the eastern two-thirds of the United States experience cold and snow.
As temperatures drop in Florida and other US states, residents are being warned to be on the lookout for iguanas that could fall from trees and injure people.
As one of the first waves of winter weather of the season started to spread throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States, from the Great Lakes to Florida and Texas, the uncommon warning was issued.
Northern states were expected to have heavy snowfall, which is expected to continue tonight evening in areas around Lake Michigan. The public was warned of thundersnow, a phenomenon caused by wind gusts of up to 30 mph and up to 18 inches of precipitation, when a winter storm warning went into place on Monday.
By Monday morning, over a foot of snow had already fallen in some areas of the Midwest.
In the meantime, residents of Florida were alerted to the uncommon risk of iguanas falling from trees because the cold paralyzes the reptiles. As far south as Gainesville, the top third of the state was expected to see freezing temperatures.
Residents of Florida were cautioned by weather experts to be mindful of the possibility of iguanas dropping. When the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the reptiles start to feel lethargic, and when it falls below 40 degrees, they may completely shut down.
In January 2023, an iguana that had fallen from a tree hit and injured a man who was practicing yoga outdoors in Miami.
Meteorologists predict that the blast of exceptionally cold Arctic air from Canada, which is unusual this early in November, will spread far farther south and east than typical, making the snap short but record-setting.
According to AccuWeather’s website, senior meteorologist Chad Merrill stated, “This storm pattern will introduce some of the coldest air seen for early November, which is the reason for the robust snow amounts expected in the Great Lakes and the far southern extent of the flurries into the southern Appalachians.”
Because of the extreme temperature differential between the extremely warm Great Lakes and the frigid Arctic air, “the lake-effect snow bands that form can dump several inches of snow in a short period of time.”
The National Weather Service stated in a statement on Monday that temperatures would “tie or break many records across the south-east through tonight.” Additionally, the NWS cautioned that dry conditions and strong winds will increase the risk of fire along the central Gulf coast.
The Arctic air mass, which CNN referred to as “a full scale polar plunge,” was already making travel dangerous in Chicago and other midwestern cities on Monday morning and was expected to impact nearly the whole eastern two-thirds of the United States.
“This snow is arriving far early than usual for some of the main metro areas. According to Merrill, the first inch of snow accumulation is typically recorded at Chicago O’Hare on January 17.
While Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky were under cold weather warnings, residents of Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin were predicted to see the worst of the weather.
While several other southern states, from Texas and Oklahoma to Alabama and Georgia, were predicted to have an early freeze Monday into Tuesday, Asheville, North Carolina, had some of the earliest snowfall on record.
AccuWeather predicts that “by Tuesday night, the lake-effect engine will start to wind down,” with pockets of milder air moving eastward from the Great Plains and the cold air moving north.
By eliminating heat from the atmosphere that feeds tropical storms, the cold air will also speed up the end of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Less than 5 percent of cyclones typically form in November, the season’s last month, and strengthening is inhibited by cooler water temperatures.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
