The weather will be warming up over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures are expected to hover in the 50s today and Saturday before bouncing up into the 70s on Sunday, meteorologist Angie Enyedi said. Temperatures are likely to drop again next week from another cold front.
Enyedi said it’s too early to say exactly which day the next cold front will hit, but as of right now, she said it is likely to happen after Wednesday.
Thursday’s cold temperatures had students bundling up in jackets and scarves, but opinions on the freezing temperatures are mixed.
Santa Fe art freshman Raistlin Thomas said he hates the cold weather mostly because of the harsh wind.
“If it wasn’t windy, I wouldn’t mind,” said Thomas, 18. “The wind cuts straight through the jackets. It’s awful.”
Until the weather warms up again, students should take precautions to prevent home and apartment damage.
To avoid any pipes freezing and bursting as the temperatures dip down, Amy Carpus, Gainesville Regional Utilities residential energy efficiency program coordinator advised to cover all exposed outdoor pipes with insulation, such as cloth and newspaper.
She said residents can also leave a slow stream of water running through the pipes. In order to keep utility bills low, Carpus said people can wear warm clothing at home to avoid blasting the heater.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/9/2015 under the headline “Florida's hot and cold weather not going away"]
Devesh Amin, a 20-year-old UF microbiology sophomore, pours hot chocolate into a disposable cup at a Gator Wesley tabling event on Turlington Plaza on Thursday afternoon.
