FGCU-Florida International Dual Cancelled Amid Continued Cold Weather in the South

While temperatures will begin to recover on Saturday from the historic cold snap across the southern United States that saw Miami’s first snow in 48 years, a meet between Florida Gulf Coast and Florida International University has been cancelled.

The meet was supposed to be hosted by FGCU at their campus in Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Saturday’s forecast is expected to hit a high of 68 degrees – only about 5 degrees below normal – but after a week-or-more of lows in the 30s, the pool temperature at the outdoor pool is continuing to work its way back up. Currently in Fort Myers, the air temperature is 53 degrees and the pool temperature is 73 degrees.

While the Eagles returned to training in the pool on Tuesday, the in-and-out nature of a swim meet makes it tougher to deal with lower water and air temperature combinations.

The two teams discussed moving the meet back to try and capture the warmer weather, but other on-campus events made it difficult to wrangle enough staff for a postponed start time.

Fort Myers is only a 2.5 hour drive from the FIU campus, and the two schools have been on-again, off-again conference foes, so this meet has become a regular stop on their annual dual meet schedule.

FIU won last year’s meet 194-106.

It appears based on social media posts that FIU will still get some intrasquad racing in at home on Saturday with what they’re dubbing the “FIU Heating Up Classic.” It’s about 10 degrees warmer in Miami than Fort Myers and is expected to get up to 70 degrees on Saturday.

FIU still has a dual meet next Saturday against cross-town rivals Florida Atlantic next Saturday, February 1st, before heading into championship season; Florida Gulf Coast has a two-day dual back at home against North Florida next Friday and Saturday.

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1650butterfly
21 days ago

As someone who swims for a college in central Florida, we’ve held meets when it’s in the 40s… it’s not really that big of a deal. Dress warm. Suck it up. No need to cancel.

Awsi Dooger
21 days ago

I’m in Miami. It did not snow. Merely the social media age showing intentionally misleading videos.

Now, in early 1977, absolutely it did snow. I was in high school and remember it well. It was bitterly cold the previous evening but nobody predicted snow. Then it happened early the following morning.

This is nothing similar. Merely longer sustained coldish temperatures than the area is accustomed to. I’ve been wearing a tee shirt per norm while working outside in my lawn, but everybody else is either skipping their daily neighborhood walk or bundled up as if arctic conditions.

BingBopBam
21 days ago

Global warming going crazy

AAAA
21 days ago

Climate change is some scary stuff.

Dan
21 days ago

It was 39F at 9:30am this morning and the feel like temp was supposed to be below freezing at 8am with 11am feel like is 43F with N 12 mph wind.

Last edited 21 days ago by Dan
Aquatic Ursine
21 days ago

Yeah this cold snap has been brutal especially since up until it this winter had been shockingly warm.

Crossing the +1.5 °C mark should have been major news last your but we’re in the dystopian timeline so…

Dan
Reply to  Aquatic Ursine
21 days ago

Think that many organizations etc is trying to not make to big of deal of it as that might make some people less interested in the environment and climate. Over the last 2 months or so I have seen that many/most papers that I read are now referring to +2C which is what we did not want to reach and that was a big reason that +1.5C was the goal so we have 75 years to for the global average to stay the same or go down.

AAAA
Reply to  Dan
21 days ago

Let us only make a big deal out of things that further our agenda.

Dan
Reply to  AAAA
21 days ago

I was trying to make the point that most organizations including media are trying make less of a big deal now than they would have a couple of years ago. If that was not clear, I’m sorry.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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