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AccuWeather.com reports another, potentially colder outbreak of arctic air will threaten the fruit and vegetable industry beginning this weekend in the South.

The upcoming outbreak will hit in southern Texas first Friday night, then it will expand eastward across the Gulf Coast into Florida later in the weekend.

Temperatures could drop into the teens and lower 20s for a number of hours in southern Louisiana. Approximately 40 percent of U.S. sugar production comes from the state.

AccuWeather.com Expert Agricultural Meteorologist Dale Mohler warns that temperatures this low could cause significant damage to Louisiana sugar cane. Record-challenging, wet weather this fall has also slowed the harvest.

Florida fruit and vegetable producers and workers who were scrambling to take protective measures from the freeze much of this week will get a break Thursday night and Friday night. However, an arctic blast with the potential to drive temperatures several degrees lower is waiting on deck.

The new blast will follow a storm bringing a broad area of snow to the eastern two-thirds of the nation, including parts of the Deep South Thursday into Friday.

A second storm system could trek across Florida this weekend, prior to the arrival of the new blast. That storm has the potential to bring some snow to the northern and central parts of the Peninsula!

Cloud cover with the storm would prevent temperatures from dropping significantly at night. However, once that storm departs, clearing skies in the throws of the arctic air would then allow the temperature to plummet.

The most likely time for the next wave of freezing temperatures for the Florida Peninsula appears to be Sunday night through Tuesday night. If the Florida storm is a no-show, add Saturday night to the risk period.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Expert Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski

Tags: AccuWeather.com, Alex Sosnowski, Dale Mohler, Deep South, Florida, Gulf Coast, Louisiana, South, Sugar Production, Texas