Florida Cold Snaps Could Cause Iguanas to Fall from the Trees, National Weather Service Warns
Parts of Florida recently received a wild weather advisory: watch out for flurries of frigid, falling iguanas.
According to CNN, the Sunshine State recently experienced a cold snap with temperatures dropping 10 to 15 degrees below the norm for this time of year.
These cooler temperatures were felt across the southeastern United States, but only Florida was warned about an odd side effect that can come from a sudden drop in temperature.
“This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr!” the National Weather Service — Miami tweeted on Tuesday.
Jan 21 - This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020
The unusual tweet went on to add that iguanas are cold blooded, so they “slow down or become immobile when temps drops into the 40s. They may fall from trees, but they are not dead.”
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed that their forecast was correct, retweeting a photo of a fallen iguana shared by National Hurricane Center scientist Eric Blake.
RELATED: ‘Dangerously Low’ Wind Chills and Freezing Temperatures Close Florida Water Parks
“Verified the iguana warning and the wind chill advisory! Definitely not your average day in South Florida this morning,” NHS-Miami wrote along with a photo of an iguana lying on pavement.
Verified the iguana warning and the wind chill advisory! Definitely not your average day in South Florida this morning. No records broken, however. The coldest temperatures for Jan 22 was back in 1985! Miami had a low of 30 and Fort Lauderdale had a low of 29. #flwx https://t.co/D8AnmAgvS5
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 22, 2020
Several other Floridians also shared photos of the chilly, incapacitated iguanas they found in their yards.
Here they are! Cold stunned iguanas around Miami and Fort Lauderdale after the coldest air in 10 years! We hit the upper 30s in spots. #FallingIguanas pic.twitter.com/He8jqkjFo2
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWx) January 22, 2020
Iguana stunned by the cold in front of my house near West Palm Beach. Last pic has my flop for scale.
I figured I'd find him-- he's a regular around my yard.
cc: @SurfnWeatherman @JimCantore pic.twitter.com/yDFne6UOv7— Hank "Very legal and very good" Epton (@HankEpton) January 22, 2020
USA Today reports, via the National Weather Service, that the temperature in Miami dropped to 40 degrees on Wednesday morning and that the windchill in the area was in the mid-30s.
Iguanas, native to Central America and parts of the Caribbean and South America, are considered an invasive species in Florida, with Florida Fish and Wildlife going as far as encouraging Florida residents to kill iguanas they find on their property.
