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Winter Storm Enzo brings rare cold to Gainesville

Zack Hooper stands in near-freezing temperatures on a street corner in Gainesville, Fla., following a night of cold winds and rain from Winter Storm Enzo on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Hooper said during extreme weather, he resorts to couch surfing at his friends' homes. "I got a storage unit, but you can't live in that," Hooper said. (Madi Gemme/WUFT News)
Zack Hooper stands in near-freezing temperatures on a street corner in Gainesville, Fla., following a night of cold winds and rain from Winter Storm Enzo on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Hooper said during extreme weather, he resorts to couch surfing at his friends' homes. "I got a storage unit, but you can't live in that," Hooper said. (Madi Gemme/WUFT News)

Gainesville residents could be seen around town on Wednesday wearing multiple coats and layered clothing to stay warm during the record cold day.

The University of Florida canceled classes from midnight Tuesday until 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

When classes resumed at 12:50 p.m. Wednesday, some students trekked to campus to attend afternoon and night classes.

Students were sporting hats, gloves, boots and earmuffs to beat the frigid temperatures.

Lindsay Santos, a UF kinesiology freshman from Blacksburg, Virginia, said she has experienced freezing temperatures and winter storms before.

She shared some advice for those who may be encountering freezing temperatures for the first time.

“Windbreakers are the best thing to keep warm, you can also have your hands in your pockets, so you do not need gloves,” said Santos.

According to iPhone weather reports, the day’s lowest temperature was 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although there was no snow in Gainesville, the day consisted of sleet and heavy wind gusts in the early hours of the morning.

Puddles from the rain hours earlier lined the sidewalks, roads and paths to classes as students did their best to avoid them.

The National Weather Service issued a severe weather advisory and freeze warning effective until 7 p.m. Wednesday for parts of northeast and northern Florida and southeast Georgia.

Wednesday's freezing temperatures — and a forecast of possible snow — prompted schools and public spaces, including Depot Park, to close. (Isabella Heupel/WUFT News)
Wednesday's freezing temperatures — and a forecast of possible snow — prompted schools and public spaces, including Depot Park, to close. (Isabella Heupel/WUFT News)

For Depot Park supervisor Adam Bouchard, the day looked a little different than normal.

He said that extra safety precautions are taken when working outside in cold temperatures.

“We use a little bit more PPE (personal protective equipment), so hand gear, eye gear, hat gear, making sure we’re not losing any extra heat,” said Bouchard. “If it's in the wet, make sure we’re wearing dry clothes and watching the temperature and how long we’re staying outside.”

Bouchard said working outside in this weather is a little more challenging, and people need to bundle up more.

“Winter gear, Carhartt, anything that you use up north,” he said.

Depot Park was closed Wednesday due to the storm.

Students who moved to Florida to attend school had different views on the cold weather, and some were more surprised than others.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Zoey Papanikolaou, a UF theater and environmental science freshman, said she expected Florida to be warm and sunny all the time.

“I didn’t know it was going to get this cold,” Papanikolaou said. “I was pretty shocked because I didn’t think that happened here. I didn’t think it would be possible for it to snow.”

Addison Deiterle, a UF health science sophomore from Minnetonka, Minnesota, is familiar with the challenges of a winter storm.

Deiterle said the main difference between Minnesota and Florida is the public reaction to the storm.

“Everyone here was very excited, and they were all very hopeful, and they were like ‘I’m waking up at 6 a.m. to go see the snow.’ That's not something you would necessarily do in Minnesota, obviously, because you get it very often,” Deiterle said.

Isabella is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.