ORLANDO, Fla. – As Cupid sharpens his arrows and florists brace themselves for the floral frenzy, many are flocking to the stores for another reason. Is it the love in the air causing eyes to water?
Feb. 14 is the day synonymous with romance, passion, and perhaps a few too many heart-shaped candies. It’s also less than a week away.
Recommended Videos
“Love is in the air,” they say, but is it? We decided to dig into some weather history to find out.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
First stop, Houston, 1895. Houstonians were greeted by the St. Valentine’s Day blizzard with a whopping 20 inches of snow! Yes, you heard that right. Talk about a snow globe romance!
Next up, we have the notorious “Saint Valentine’s Day Blizzard” of 1940, hitting New England like a snowball to the face. The storm left lovers trapped downtown in Boston, forced to cuddle up for warmth as the snow piled high outside.
But wait, there’s more! Champaign County, Illinois, experienced a not-so-lovely ice storm in 1990, causing a cool $12 million in damage. Talk about putting a freeze on those Valentine’s Day plans! Even air traffic came to a halt during the evening at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, where 9.7 inches of snow was reported.
Fast forward to 2010, where Canadians were torn between their love for warmth and their love for the Winter Olympics. With temperatures soaring near 50 degrees, it wasn’t exactly ideal for maintaining snowy slopes. Who knew Mother Nature had a sense of humor?
Now, let’s talk about the Sunshine State. In 1899, Feb. 12 through the 14th was cold blast for the record books.
An arctic airmass from Canada moved all the way into the Gulf of Mexico bringing wind-driven snow to the Panhandle. Flurries were reported as far south as Ft. Myers! Tallahassee’s temperature plummeted to -2 degrees on the 13th, still the state’s coldest reading on record.
The “Great Arctic Outbreak” wasn’t just a Florida problem as one can imagine. Ice was seen in the mouth of the Mississippi River as blizzard conditions stretched from Louisiana to New York.
Don’t worry, even though winter has been serving up its fair share of cold days lately, all time record cold readings are not in the forecast next week.
So, what season are we in for heading into Valentine’s Day? That’s a valid question given the roller coaster ride Florida’s been on lately. As temperatures go once again from the 60s to the 80s this weekend, it looks like there will be another dip the upper 60s to low 70s heading into Valentine’s Day.
Even with temperatures a little below average for this time of year, it’s hard to deny that Florida reigns supreme in the Valentine’s Day weather game. There will be plenty of sunshine and a number of romantic beach views to choose from. Despite needing a light jacket at times, Floridians have it made. Well, almost.
Our lovely forecast includes pollen. Who would have thought yellow was the new color for Valentine’s Day? The pollen has been everywhere lately and that won’t change next week. Our local flora have been enjoying the bursts of warm weather here lately. The forecast for oak, grasses, and juniper pollen will be higher than the cost of that romantic dinner.
So, when you look into your lover’s gleaming eyes, just know it could be more than affection.
Back to the original question — is love truly in the air? Well, that depends on your outlook. Whether you’re bundled up in a blizzard or taking a cool stroll in beachside bliss, remember that love knows no weather forecast.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: