The heaviest snowfall in the Sunshine State occurred around Pensacola, where spotters reported measuring amounts of 5 to 12 inches through Tuesday evening. Due to the hazardous weather and a series of crashes, a nearly 70-mile stretch of Interstate 10 was shut down by the Florida Highway Patrol.
From Pensacola to Jacksonville, snowfall was reported ranging from inches-deep to a light dusting. A whopping 9.8 inches was recorded in Milton, Fla. a city about 23 miles northeast of Pensacola. In nearby Molino, 9.5 inches of snow was recorded.
There were 18,000 Florida homes without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Governor’s Office. Some 20,000 have already been restored after losing power across the state during the storm. “Extreme Cold Warnings” remain in effect for most of the Panhandle through Thursday morning.
Not only did Florida get record snowfall, but it was colder in Pensacola this morning than it was in Anchorage, Alaska.
The winter storm that moved through Florida on Tuesday into Wednesday is one for the record books, smashing the previous all-time high for snowfall in the Sunshine State.
The National Weather Service just dropped updated snowfall totals, with Milton now up to 9.8 inches. This will be the final total and, if verified, may stand as the new Florida state record for snowfall. A previous record was 4 inches, also set in Milton in 1954.
Snow in the Sunshine State doesn't happen very often. But it did. And here are the photos from Pensacola to Yulee to prove it.
Florida is experiencing snow, a rare event for the Sunshine State. Learn more about the areas in Florida that witnessed snowfall.
A 23-year-old Santa Rosa Beach woman couldn't pass up the opportunity to recreate a photo from a Florida snowstorm in 1977.
Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Interstate 10 corridor where snow and ice accumulations could reach 4" over the next 24 hours. Pensacola will likely see the most snowfall in the state while greater amounts of ice are anticipated for cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
If confirmed, Florida had its highest snowfall total since 1954. As many as 15,000 Duke Energy customers lost power at one point.
Most Northeast Florida school districts closed Wednesday because of safety concerns about possible snow and ice. That worry is over.