While millions of Americans have been feeling the bitter arctic air this winter fueled by the Polar Vortex, Floridians will get their taste this week as a rare deep freeze is underway in the Sunshine State.

One meteorologist warned it would be a "generational cold event" with dangerously frigid weather expected in the Sunshine State.

An Arctic airmass is moving into Florida, bringing some of the coldest air of the season. Florida may have missed the snow, ice and sleet from the winter storm that slapped states from New Mexico to New England, but that doesn't mean the Sunshine State will escape unscathed.

Starting Monday night, South Florida — including Miami and Fort Lauderdale — will begin to feel the impact of much colder air following the historic winter storm that affected large portions of the central and eastern United States.

Talk about extremes.

Near record heat is possible in South Florida on Monday as high temperatures soar into the mid 80s during the afternoon. The CBS Miami Next Weather team is forecasting a high of 85 degrees in Miami. The old record is 85 degrees set back in 2017. The forecast high for Fort Lauderdale is 86 degrees and the old record is 88 degrees set in 1965.

WLRN Public Media | By Helen Acevedo This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida's only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with […] The post Cold weather shelters open across south Florida first appeared on Miami's Community News.

"I haven't seen something like this," says a National Weather Service meteorologist.

South Florida woke up to a major temperature swing on Tuesday, a day after Miami and Fort Lauderdale broke record high temps, both reaching 88 degrees. On Tuesday morning we started out around 50 degrees.

Forecasters are monitoring the development of another powerful storm that could bring heavy snow and strong winds to Southern New England this weekend, or pass out to sea.