
How did Florida just 'out-snow' some of Canada's biggest snow-making cities?
Would you ever guess that Florida recorded more snowfall in January than St. John's, N.L.? It just happened
Snow angels at the beach, ice skating through the streets of New Orleans, snowball fights from Houston to Florida -- Tuesday's historic winter storm certainly turned heads and broke numerous, all-time records across the southern U.S.
It was a storm for the ages, with sights much more common during a typical Canadian winter.
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What's more impressive are the startling stats that show that parts of Florida have now actually out-snowed some major Canadian cities so far this winter!
How?
Earlier this week, a strong ridge of high pressure built into Alaska. That allowed the polar vortex to escape from the North Pole, plunging southwards across all of North America.
It is very uncommon for the cold to spread that far south, and with such widespread chilly impacts being felt, as well. Below-freezing temperatures made their way past the Gulf coastline.
The warm and cold air collided over the Gulf of Mexico, helping to create this powerful winter storm. The storm track stayed south of the Gulf states, allowing for snow to fall all the way to the beaches.
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Big snowfall totals surpass most major Canadian cities
In Milton, Fla., 25.4 cm of snow fell through Tuesday, setting a new record in the history books for the largest snowfall for the state. New snowfall records were broken in New Orleans, as well.

This one-day snowfall event in Florida in particular is now bigger than anything Canada has recorded in a single day so far this winter, with the only one exception being in Saint John, N.B.
But, even with the 22 cm that fell in Florida on Tuesday, it was more than communities have seen in Canada's Far North, and much closer to the Arctic Circle.

Florida is officially out-snowing several Canadian cities on a monthly level, too, beating out places like Toronto, Ont., and St. John's, N.L., with their January monthly snow totals so far.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 22, Toronto has picked up 19 cm of snow while St. John's trails behind at 17 cm.
SEE ALSO: January is Canada’s snowiest month. Here’s what you can expect
This is pretty remarkable considering that St. John's is actually Canada's snowiest city, and January is typically its snowiest month.

The potent storm is now on the move, and strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean. Arctic air will actually spare Canada's East Coast from any major snow totals as the storm blows through, but Ireland and parts of the U.K. are on high alert for major impacts as this week ends.
Wind gusts could reach as high as 130+ km/h through Friday morning across southern Ireland.

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With files from, Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.