Nearly 50 years ago, snow fell in South Florida for the first time in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service.
The snow came on Jan. 19, 1977, and the news was big enough that it even overshadowed then-President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration.
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In a release, the NWS said that snow had been seen across Southeast Florida, including places like Miami Beach, West Palm Beach, LaBelle, Homestead and Hollywood.
There were even reports of snow all the way down in the Bahamas.
“Although snow in Florida is not as rare as it is believed to be, the farthest south snow had been previously observed was along a Fort Myers-to-Fort Pierce line in February 1899,” the release says.
It will be a pleasant Jan day today, but back in 1977 we had snow here in Central Florida! pic.twitter.com/FSA7CKnTKz
— NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) January 19, 2015
According to the NWS, a strong Arctic cold front had been pumped into Florida from Mississippi, bringing cold temperatures and snow to nearly every area of north and Central Florida.
On the morning of Jan. 19, rain began mixing with the snow, creating flurries across Broward and Miami-Dade counties (though the Miami International Airport reportedly didn’t observe any snowfall).
While the air temperature was above freezing in South Florida, the low altitude kept the flurries from completely melting before reaching the ground, the release shows.
The frigid air and lower wind speeds caused temperatures to plummet the next day to either at or below freezing nearly everywhere in South Florida.
| Location | Low Temperature (F) Jan. 20, 1977 |
|---|---|
| LaBelle | 21 |
| Devil’s Garden | 23 |
| Homestead Agricultural Center | 23 |
| Immokalee | 24 |
| Belle Glade | 24 |
| Royal Palm Ranger Station | 24 (all-time low) |
| Moore Haven | 25 |
| North Miami Beach | 25 |
| Naples | 26 (all-time low) |
| Palm Beach International Airport | 27 |
| Clewiston | 27 |
| Flamingo | 27 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 28 (all-time low) |
| Hollywood | 28 |
| Miami International Airport | 31 |
| Miami Beach | 32 (all-time low) |
Some parts of South Florida were at or below freezing for 10-14 hours, which devastated farms in the region due to crops like tangerines, oranges and corn being destroyed.
This resulted in 35 counties in Florida being declared disaster areas.
Ice formed on some roads in Miami-Dade County, prompting the Florida Highway Patrol to issue advisories for ice-covered roads.
But could it happen again?
“I would say, with the warming we have experienced in the last few decades, the chance of a repeat is slim,” former News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrels said. “However, part of the climate changing is that we not only get ‘Global Warming’ — we get ‘Global Weirdness.’ Wild swings, heavy precipitation, crazy swings of the jet stream... With that kind of action, most anything is possible.”