TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s a snow day in the Sunshine State. A new record for snowfall has been officially set in Florida.
On Wednesday morning, people in North Florida woke up to winter snow on the ground, with a record-reading of 9.8 inches of snow in Milton.
The previous record was four inches in the Panhandle, recorded in 1993.
What You Need To Know
- A new record for snowfall has been officially set in Florida
- People in North Florida woke up to winter snow on the ground, with reports of 8 inches in some parts of the Panhandle
- The snow started falling around 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee
- RELATED: Winter storm brings cold and record snowfall to Florida
- Bay area weather: Chilly Wednesday with morning showers
- Central Florida weather: Cold, rainy start to Wednesday but brighter pattern awaits
- NWS SNOWFALL totals: https://www.weather.gov/source/crh/snowmap.html
Morning temperatures were in the upper 20s in Tallahassee Wednesday morning.
The snow started falling in Pensacola Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't cold enough to snow in the Bay or Central Florida areas.
But locally, we are still feeling cooler temperatures.
School districts up north are closed on Wednesday because of the winter weather. Florida State University and Florida A&M University in Tallahassee are also closed.
The University of Florida in Gainesville canceled classes on Tuesday and will resume Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the snow started falling around 5 p.m., Tuesday, in Tallahassee. It snowed all night long, leaving behind frozen cars, frozen roads but also some very special memories.
The overnight winter storm brought 2 to 3 inches of snow to the Tallahassee area. Other snowfall amounts from across the region include:
Milton, FL: 9.8"
Molino, FL: 9.5"
Pace, FL: 9.0"
Century, FL: 9.0"
Baker, FL: 8.5"
Ensley, FL: 8.0"
Pensacola, FL: 7.6"
Pensacola Beach, FL: 7.5"
The impacts haven’t been all pleasant, but they sure have been memorable.
Jay Gray from New Port Richey drove his kids, 12-year-old Kathan and 14-year-old Cecilia, to the Panhandle to see the snow.
National Weather Service snowfall amounts in Florida for 24 hours through Wednesday morning. (NWS)
He said it’s a late Christmas present and a promise that they’d see snow for the first time.
“When we told them they were going to get a chance to see snow, they were ecstatic,” Gray said. “To the point where, it was a long car drive because they were so hyped up from it.”
Miami resident Dianna Lizarraga also hopped in the car and drove north to see the Florida snow.
“I got a phone call at 11:30 last night from my friend and she was like, 'We’re going to see the snow,'" Lizarraga said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, count me in.’ I never experienced it before so I just wanted to come see it.”
Tuesday's snow was the first Florida resident Alyssa Gonzalez had ever seen, and she was astonished at what she saw.
“There's icicles on the tree,” she said. “I've never seen anything like this. Living in Florida, seeing some snow is crazy.”
The snow will begin melting in the Florida Panhandle later Wednesday, but the one thing the Florida heat can’t take away is an incredible weather event that will never be erased for those that witnessed it.
Fun aside, travel overnight and early Wednesday is expected to be challenging.
With schools and some businesses closed, authorities are still urging Panhandle residents to stay off area roads until temperatures rise above freezing, and the snow and ice melt away.