A rare snowfall dusted Florida overnight into Tuesday morning amid a frigid winter storm.
Forecasters warned residents to brace for ice and snow amid bitterly cold temperatures on Tuesday, with Governor Ron DeSantis declaring a state of emergency on Monday in preparation. Pensacola recorded a temperature of just 31 degrees and a wind chill of 23 at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to Tallahassee.com.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said that "Arctic air reaching the Gulf Coast and a developing low pressure system over the Gulf will lead to a rare, significant winter storm for the Gulf Coast and Southeast the next couple of days.
"A historic snowfall is possible along the Gulf Coast, with snowfall rates of 1"/hour or more possible from eastern Texas through the western Florida Panhandle." This could produce snow between 3 to 6 inches deep along the I-10 corridor, which includes the Florida city of Pensacola, the NWS added. While temperatures of potentially "record lows are possible Wednesday morning, especially along the Gulf Coast."
Why It Matters
Florida and the southern U.S. are "ill-equipped to handle such winter storms," according to Accuweather. The wintry conditions "may lead to major highway and air traffic disruptions, including possible road closures and flight cancellations, which may continue for several days even after the snowfall ends," the NWS said. "Power outages are also possible and will exacerbate the threat from the frigid temperatures."
The news about a snowy winter storm in Florida comes as extreme climate events have rocked the country. Fierce Santa Ana winds created a perfect storm this month with apocalyptic wildfires raging across California as the state suffers from a severe drought. Florida and other parts of the U.S. were battered by a string of hurricanes last fall, with Hurricane Helene killing more than 100 and leaving 1 million homes without power.
What To Know
Social media users on X, formerly Twitter, shared pictures and footage online showing a dusting of snow in Florida.
Meteorologist Matt Devitt shared a photo of a road sign welcoming visitors to the "Sunshine State" that was sitting in a mound of accumulating snow. "IT'S SNOWING IN FLORIDA!" he wrote. "I just took this picture in the Panhandle moments ago along Route 97 north of Pensacola. More snow is on the way!"
Local news channel WSVN shared viewer Matt Schnippert's video on X with the caption: "SNOW IN FLORIDA! Check out this incredible video from Tallahassee just a few minutes ago, showing the snow coming down!"
The 7-second clip showed snowflakes falling on to a wooden deck, where it had begun to settle to form a white blanket on all exposed surfaces.
Significant snowfall—enough to settle on the ground—is rare in Florida. For example, the "last time there was enough snow to measure in Jacksonville, Florida, was during the Christmas week storm of 1989. Nearly 2 inches of snow fell during the event," Accuweather said.
On January 3, 2018, Tallahassee recorded about one-tenth of an inch of snow. That was the first measurable snow in the city since 1989, although it has seen non-settling snow flurries occasionally since then.
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service: "Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chill values [are] to linger for much of the South and eastern U.S. through mid-week. [A] rare winter storm [is set] to bring heavy snow as well as areas of sleet and freezing rain to the Gulf Coast and Southeast with widespread travel impacts expected."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: "The threat posed by this winter weather system requires that timely precautions are taken to protect the communities, critical infrastructure, and general welfare of Florida."
What Happens Next
Florida residents should check their local weather forecasts for the most up-to-date information and follow cold weather safety advice.
Some experts fear that climate change will make extreme weather patterns worse.