While the tropics are synonymous with warm climates, unexpected cold snaps can occur, bringing freezing temperatures to these usually balmy areas.
South Florida, particularly Miami, experienced a rare cold event in January 1977 when an Arctic cold front traveled far south, leading to snowfall, a first in recorded history for the area. Typically, Miami’s January temperatures don’t dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, yet during this event, temperatures plunged to 28 degrees. The day remained unusually cold with temperatures sticking in the 40s, approximately 30 degrees below the norm. This freeze resulted in over $300 million in agricultural losses, significantly impacting the region’s famed orange groves and causing substantial damage to coral reefs, with similar impacts noted in 2010.
Another surprising region that experiences these cold phenomena is Heroica Veracruz, a port city located in southeastern Mexico. Despite being firmly within the tropics at 19 degrees north latitude, this area has recorded temperatures falling into the 30s. Comparatively, Dakar, Senegal, with a similar tropical savanna climate, has never seen temperatures drop below 50 degrees. These rare cold conditions in Veracruz are attributed to cold air damming, a process where cold air masses become trapped against mountain ranges, in this case, the Sierra Madre, allowing the frigid air to filter southward.
The Sahara Desert, known for its significant temperature swings between day and night, also occasionally experiences freezing conditions. Cities such as Dongola in the Eastern Sahara have record lows reaching 27 degrees Fahrenheit. These cold spells typically occur when cold air masses from Europe and Asia move south, particularly affecting desert regions which lack the cloud cover and humidity that mitigate temperature extremes.
These instances of freezing temperatures in tropical and desert regions highlight the complexities of weather patterns, illustrating how atmospheric dynamics can lead to unexpected climatic conditions.
Source: Accuweather
