Snow in Florida? The rare storms that hit the Sunshine State
History only holds a dozen or so storms that have produced accumulating snow in Florida since records began in the late 1800s
Months of frigid temperatures and back-to-back winter storms send countless Canadians searching for warmer climates every winter.
Each year, many of those snowbirds head south of the border to Florida in search of bright sunshine and warmer weather. But that search isn’t always successful.
Occasional outbreaks of winter weather reach the Sunshine State, and every once in a while all the conditions will align to provide the odd burst of snow.
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Snow is exceptionally rare in Florida
Florida’s subtropical climate makes frozen precipitation an exceptionally rare occurrence in this part of the world.
Steamy waters that surround the state to its east, west, and south moderate even the most frigid Arctic outbreaks surging in from the north.
Pensacola and Tallahassee, located on the Florida Panhandle, have each only seen about a dozen days with measurable snowfall since the late 1800s. Shovellable totals only occur there once every one or two generations.
Accumulating snow is an even rarer sight farther south. Tampa has only seen two measurable snowfalls since 1893, while Orlando has never recorded more than a trace of snow.
Florida’s deep freeze during the ‘Great Blizzard’
One of the United States’ strongest outbursts of Arctic air unfolded during the middle of February 1899. Frigid temperatures dove south out of Saskatchewan, roaring across the Plains states on a beeline for the Gulf Coast.
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Low temperatures plunged below -25°C (-13°F) in Toronto, Washington, and Chicago, reaching a bone-chilling -30°C (-22°F) in Kansas City.
This event brought Florida its coldest temperatures on record, with the state capital of Tallahassee bottoming-out at -18.9°C (-2°F).
A potent winter storm developed over the Gulf of Mexico as the cold air surged southward. The system dropped a light blanket of snow across northern Florida as it moved northeast.
Tallahassee recorded 5 cm (2 in.) of snow, while Gainesville came in with 2.5 cm (1 in.). This was one of only two occasions where Tampa saw a dusting of snow.
Florida’s largest snowstorm hit in 2025
All the ingredients came together for a generational winter storm in the middle of January 2025. A moisture-packed system tracked across the Gulf Coast just as a burst of frosty temperatures arrived in the region.
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Historic snowfall totals followed. The town of Milton, Florida, saw 25.4 cm (10 in.) of accumulation during the event, notching the record for the most snow ever observed in the state. Pensacola ended up with a whopping 22.6 cm (8.9 in.) of snowfall.
Near-unprecedented totals unfolded in neighbouring states, as well, with 19.1 cm (7.5 in.) falling in Mobile, Alabama, and 20.3 cm (8 in.) covering the ground in New Orleans.
Accumulating snow is so unusual here that neither road crews nor residents have the equipment needed to clear the snow. Roads, schools, and businesses shut down for several days during and after the event.
Southern Florida’s only snowfall hit in 1977
An impressive cold snap blanketed the eastern U.S. during the middle of January 1977. Morning lows on Jan. 19 fell into the double-digits below zero in northern Florida, with subfreezing air dipping all the way to the swamps of the Everglades in the southern tip of the state.
The combination of an approaching system and sufficiently frigid temperatures allowed widespread pockets of snow to develop over Florida that morning.
Several centimetres of snow fell on the Florida Panhandle near Pensacola. Tampa witnessed a light dusting.
But flurries fell as far south as the Miami metropolitan area. While the snow didn’t accumulate, it represents the southernmost reports of snow ever observed in the United States. The event was so exceptional that flurries were even reported in the northern Bahamas.
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