LaBelle shivers through one of the coldest mornings of the season

LABELLE, Fla. — This isn’t just “Southwest Florida cold.” This is cold cold.

Friday morning brought some of the chilliest temperatures the region has seen in a while, and LaBelle — one of the coldest spots — felt the impact early.

Senior reporter Emily Young braves the cold:

From delayed business openings to concerns over crop damage, the cold made for a busy and challenging start to the day.

At Café 360 on Fort Thompson Avenue, the morning didn’t go according to plan.

The Café normally opens at 7 a.m., but frost caused unexpected delays. Owner Elvira says frost covered her truck Friday morning, something she wasn’t prepared for.

“I didn’t have a scraper,” Elvira said. “I had to wait. We opened a little late because we didn’t think it was going to be frozen.”

Originally from New Jersey, Elvira says she brought winter clothes with her when she moved to Florida — she just never expected to need them in LaBelle.

“I still carry some of the clothes I used to wear back in New Jersey,” she said. “So I was lucky to find it.”

Just across the street at Bridge Street Coffee and Tea, the cold had people in the agricultural industry on high alert.

Crop inspectors told me their phones were ringing nonstop Friday morning, with farmers asking them to check for possible cold damage.

When asked whether temperatures were cold enough to impact crops, one inspector said yes.

“Most everything we grow this time of year is susceptible,” he said. “Sugar cane, peppers, tomatoes — everything.”

Back at Café 360, staff say they expect business to be slower than usual, with many people choosing to stay home and wait for warmer weather.

Streets in LaBelle were noticeably quiet Friday morning. Except for me — and yes, I was wearing four pairs of pants.