UPDATE 2025:    While this story may be 10 years old,  the principal of early onset / early Spring  ---  for Florida only  ---   is still worth noting.

Mild & Dry?

Winter of 2016-2017 in Florida may look a lot like what we had 2 years ago, in 2014-2015, according to weather.com.

Lower than average temperatures earlier in the season are predicted to give way to warmer than average temperatures for January & February -- bringing an early start to Spring -- at least for the southeast.

We're also told to expect a very dry winter -- so even though it is cold, the fruit trees will need a frequent drink of water, though not necessarily every day if conditions are cloudy or overcast.

An early spring should mean a better citrus fruit set for 2017, as well as a bountiful harvest for the peaches, nectarines, plums etc. in this whole general area. 2016 was a lousy year for oranges because of the very late winter cycle that interfered with the citrus blossoming.

All this because of a neutral or a weak La Nino.

Now, that said, the (New) Farmer's Almanac seems to contradict the Old Farmer's Almanac as well as weather.com:   it predicts a colder, wetter season for the southeast here.

and a mild but wet winter here:

So I'm going with a cautious "it's probably going to be mild overall", and hoping for a drier January because it will mean less mold.

And if you haven't planted your fruit trees yet, remember that planting peaches, nectarines, etc in the fall will give you a bigger harvest than if you wait to spring to get started.