ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida and winter storms don’t go exactly hand in hand, but some Florida students are prepping for a snow day on Wednesday as a rare and historic winter storms is on track to sweep through North Florida and the Deep South.
A wintry mix could stretch into parts of Central Florida by daybreak Wednesday morning.
Looking back in the record books, the all-time “single storm snowfall record” holder in the Sunshine State is in Milton, Florida, in 1954 with a total of 4 inches of accumulated snowfall.
Latest models continue to show this record falling through Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning.
The winter weather will be highly dependent on where that precipitation will fall.
Who will see SNOW?
The big story is obviously the shear amount of snow that is forecast to fall across the Florida Panhandle!
Latest model runs show snow totals ranging from 2-8 inches of accumulated snow.
While northerners might think this is “just a light dusting”, this will significantly impact the drivers on the roads by early Wednesday morning.
Who will see SLEET/ICE?
For areas teetering near freezing, we can expect a wintry mix of rain and sleet, causing icy conditions on the roads. This threat will be focused from the Big Bend toward Jacksonville and as far south as Marion County.
With this mix, it doesn’t take much of an accumulation to make roadways slick and hazardous.
Latest models show moderate impacts down through Gainesville.
Who will see RAIN?
Where the weather is a little warmer, rain is going to be the main focus.
From Central to South Florida, widespread all-day rain is expected with estimated rainfall totals ranging between 1-2 inches.
Drought conditions have worsened in recent weeks, so this soggy weather setup will help put a dent into our drought worries through Wednesday.
CURRENT WINTER WARNINGS & ADVISORIES
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for northern Florida and southeast Georgia from 7 p.m. Tuesday though 1 p.m. Wednesday as heavy mixed winter precipitation will be possible.
Impacts in this area include power outages and tree damage. Travel in this area will be hazardous, especially for Florida residents who haven’t seen conditions like this in more than 70 years.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Marion and St. Johns counties from 1-10 a.m. Wednesday as light mixed precipitation could accumulate ice (less than 0.1 inch) on the roadways by the morning commute.
Added cold wind combined with cold air in place overnight will make temperatures feel like the 20s. For this reason a Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday for Marion, Flagler and Sumter counties.
Winter weather is arriving in Florida. As it makes its way through the state, remember to:
— FLORIDA DOT (@MyFDOT) January 21, 2025
✅ Slow down for icy road conditions
✅ Stay alert, as ice forming is not always visible
✅ Stay put if possible and avoid any non-essential travel pic.twitter.com/nZdesTDqYk