7 a.m. Saturday forecast

Lakeland’s Downtown Curb Market has been cancelled for Saturday and the annual Spring Obsession garden show is being postponed in the face of expected thunderstorms and winds that will accompany a major cold front.

With a 90% chance of rain on Saturday, “thunderstorms will be capable of producing strong gusty winds, isolated tornadoes, small hail, locally heavy rains, and frequent deadly lightning strikes,” the National Weather Service said in a hazardous weather alert for Central Florida.

The cold front will push temperatures down to 36 degrees in Lakeland on Saturday night with highs on Sunday around 66, the Weather Service predicts.

“Due to the severe weather forecasted for tomorrow, March 12, the Downtown Farmers Curb Market is cancelled,” according to an email from the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority. “Normally, we do not cancel for just rain or just high winds, but the combination of thunderstorm and tornado warnings and extremely high winds make it too potentially dangerous not to cancel.”

The email continued: “The streets will remain open during the day. The poor weather should dissipate by the evening, and the St. Patrick’s Day Block Party on S. Kentucky will more than likely continue as planned.”

A statement from the Lakeland Kiwanis Club stressed that its annual Spring Obsession is postponed, not cancelled. “We will communicate our new date as soon as we can confirm,” according to the statement.

“The safety of our attendees and exhibitors is our first concern and we want a successful event for all involved,” Spring Obsession organizers said on Facebook.

The Polk Museum said its scheduled Collection in Focus walking tour will be postponed until Saturday, March 19, at 11 a.m..

This post will be updated if we learn of other cancellations or postponements. Please send news tips to newstips@lkldnow.com.

The National Weather Service rain forecast for 7 a.m. Saturday

SEND CORRECTIONS, questions, feedback or news tips: newstips@lkldnow.com

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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