Southwest Floridians should take precautions to protect their outdoor plants and pets starting tonight. Temperatures are expected to drop well into the 30’s this weekend...with even colder wind chills.

National Weather Service Meteorologist – John McMichael – says tonight’s windy conditions will kick off a downright chilly weekend…

“We are going to have some wind tonight so we do have a wind chill advisory out – later tonight we could have temps in the 20-30 degree feel-like range towards morning, so people going out tonight should dress accordingly. Tomorrow night we’re looking for a radiational cooling night, which means the winds will be dropping off, we’ll have clear skies…and with the cold, dry air mass over us we’re expecting even colder temps – so by Sunday morning we could be looking at some freezing temps in the cold, outlying areas.”

There’s a freeze watch in effect tomorrow night and Sunday morning for Hendry & Glades Counties…as well as for inland areas of Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee & Collier Counties.

A spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual says they don’t expect temperatures to stay cold enough for long enough to worry about freeze damage to crops.

Homeless shelters are opening tonight in Lee and Collier Counties.