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Snow in Florida

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The following is a list of known snow events in Florida. Snow rarely occurs in the U.S. state of Florida, as freezing temperatures in the state are generally caused by the cold and dry winds of anticyclones. Frost is more common than snow, requiring temperatures of 45°F (7°C) or less at 2 metres (7 ft) above the ground, a cloudless sky, and a relative humidity of 65% or more.[1] Generally, for snow to occur, the polar jet stream must move southward through Texas and into the Gulf of Mexico, with a stalled cold front across the southern portion of the state curving northeastward to combine freezing air into the frontal clouds.[2] Most of the state is in a rare portion of the continental United States that receives a mean maximum monthly snowfall amount of zero, the only other such areas being southern Texas and California.[3] Much of the information prior to 1900 is from weather climatology provided by the Jacksonville National Weather Service; information for other locations is sparse.[1]


Events

Pre-1900

Satellite image of Florida
  • 1774: A snowstorm extends across much of the state. The affected residents speak of it as an "extraordinary white rain."[1]
  • 1797: Land surveyor Andrew Ellicott reports 8-inch (203mm) snowdrifts near the source of the St. Marys River in Baker County.[4]
  • January 11, 1800: Over 5 inches (127mm) of snow is on the ground along the St. Marys River to the north of Jacksonville, the highest recorded snowfall total in Florida history.[2]
  • January 13, 1852: Several hours of snow accumulates to a total of 0.5 inch (13mm) in Jacksonville.[1]
  • February 28, 1855: Light snow flurries are reported in Jacksonville.[1]
  • January 29, 1868: Light sleet falls throughout the night in northeastern Florida.[1]
  • February 28, 1869: During the morning hours, some snow flurries are reported in Jacksonville.[1]
  • January 10, 1873: At 7:25 a.m., a few snowflakes fall near Jacksonville.[1]
  • February 4 & 5, 1875: Light sleet occurs between midnight and sunrise on both dates.[1]
  • January 4, 1879: For an hour and a half, sleet falls in Jacksonville before turning to rain. The rainfall covers grounds and trees with ice early on January 5, breaking the limbs of many orange trees.[1]
  • January 5, 1887: An inch (25mm) of snow falls at Pensacola.[5]
  • January 14, 1892: 0.4 inch (10mm) of snow is reported at Pensacola.[5]
  • February 14, 1892: Pensacola reports 3 inches (76mm) of snow.[6]
  • December 27, 1892: Light snow falls in various intervals in the northeastern portion of the state.[1]
  • January 18, 1893: Falling sleet turns to snow before later changing to rain in Jacksonville.[1]
  • February 14, 1895: Two short durations of light snow are reported in Jacksonville.[1]
  • February 12 & 13, 1899: Rain changes to sleet and later turns to snow during the Great Blizzard of 1899, with the snow falling for about 8 hours. With temperatures of about 10°F (−12°C), the snow accumulates to 2 inches (51mm) near Jacksonville[1] and 4 inches (102mm) at Lake Butler.[6] In some locations, the snow remains on the ground for several days.[1]

20th century

File:Tampa Snow.jpg
The January 19, 1977 snowfall in Tampa, Florida
  • December 16, 1901: Light snow is reported in Jacksonville.[1]
  • February 7, 1907: Downtown Jacksonville receives light snow flurries in the early afternoon.[1]
  • November 27, 1912: An overnight period of snow covers the ground and trees with a 0.5-inch (13mm) layer in northern Florida.[7]
  • January 22, 1935: Snow falls until the next morning, with Pensacola recording 1 inch (25mm).[5]
  • February 2, 1951: Snowfall begins and ends the following day, accumulating to about 2 inches (51mm) in Saint Augustine and Crescent City.[6]
  • December 14, 1952: Sleet and snow falls across the northern portion of the state, though there is very little accumulation.[8]
  • December 14, 1953: Light sleet occurs in the morning in Marianna.[8]
  • March 28, 1955: Snowfall accumulates to about an inch in Marianna along the Florida Panhandle.[9]
  • February 13, 1958: An overnight rainfall changes to snowfall in Jacksonville and accumulates to about 1.5 inches (38mm).[2] Additionally, Tallahassee reports a record 2.8 inches (71mm).[6]
  • February 9, 1973: Snow falls over the northern portion of the state, including a total of two inches (51mm) in Pensacola, with unofficial reports of up to 8 inches (203mm).[6]
Picture of the December 23, 1989 Jacksonville snowfall
  • January 17, 1977: The pressure gradient between a strong ridge over the Mississippi Valley and a Nor'easter over Atlantic Canada sends very cold temperatures southward into the state. Areas around Pensacola are the first to receive the snow. By early on January 19, West Palm Beach reports snow for the first time on record, with snow flurries reaching as far south as Homestead. The snow causes little impact as it quickly melts, though the accompanying cold air results in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and several deaths. On January 20, the Miami Herald reports the event as the front page story, with a headline of a size usually reserved for the declaration of war.[10]
  • Late January, 1977: Pensacola receives snowfall.[10]
  • March 2, 1980: A quarter of an inch (6mm) of snow covers car tops and patio furniture in Jacksonville.[2]
  • January 17, 1981: Reports indicate snowfalls in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.[5]
  • March 1, 1986: 0.5 inch (13mm) of snow accumulates overnight in Jacksonville before melting within 30 minutes due to the morning sun.[2]
  • December 23, 1989: Light rain in Jacksonville turns to freezing rain as temperatures drop, and later changes to snow. The snow totals several inches in some locations, and results in the first White Christmas in the city's history.[2]
  • December 24, 1989: An overnight freeze causes the Kendall, FL area to reach a record low of 29 degrees mixed with an area of moisture causes Miami's first white christmas. Snow accumulates to about half an inch but melts as the ground temperature increases as the morning progresses to afternoon.[2]
  • March 12, 1993: The '93 Superstorm produces up to 4 inches (102mm) of snow along the Florida Panhandle.[11]
  • January 8, 1996: Snow flurries are reported from Crystal River to New Port Richey with no accumulation.[12]
  • December 18, 1996: A plume of cold air causes snow to form in the northwestern portion of Escambia County.[13]

21st century

Satellite image for January 24, 2003 snowfall
  • January 24, 2003: A plume of Arctic air produces widespread record low temperatures and light snow flurries along the eastern coastline. The snow is described as ocean effect snow, identical to lake effect snow in that it occurs due to very cold air passing over relatively warm water temperatures. The snow reaches as far south as Fort Pierce. No accumulation is reported due to rising temperatures throughout the day.[14]
  • December 25, 2004: Locations along the Florida Panhandle receive a dusting of snow.[15]
  • November 21, 2006: An eastward moving weather system produces a very light dusting and snowflakes in central Florida. It is the first snow in November in the state since 1912.[15]
  • February 3, 2007: Very light snow flurries are reported in the panhandle, lasting less than an hour.[16]
  • April 8, 2007: Portions of the western Florida Panhandle receive brief durations of sleet.[17]
  • December 25, 2007: Sleet, occasionally mixed with snow, is reported in portions of the western Florida Panhandle. The sleet lasted about 30 minutes before becoming a thunderstorm with rain, sleet, and hail. [18]
  • January 3, 2008: Light snow flurries are reported near Daytona Beach.[19]
  • January 15, 2009: Sleet and snow flurries are spotted falling in the Tallahassee area.[2]
  • January 22, 2009: Wintry mixes and moisture in the Tampa Bay area and interior Fort Lauderdale causes a few snow showers and flurries in both areas. There were also some unofficial reports of snowfall in the Kendall region of Miami.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q T. Frederick Davis (1908). "Climatology of Jacksonville, Fla. and Vicinity" (PDF). U.S. Weather Bureau. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i George Winterling (2003-12-04). "Snow on the First Coast". News4JAX.com. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  3. ^ A Climatology of Mean Monthly Snowfall for the Conterminous United States:Temporal and Spatial Patterns (1987). "John Harrington, Randall Cerveny, and Kenneth Dewey" (PDF). University of Nebraska Department of Geography. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  4. ^ Carl Mobley (1999). "500 Years of Baker County". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  5. ^ a b c d Flahistory.net. ""Today in Florida History" for January". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  6. ^ a b c d e Flahistory.net. ""Today in Florida History" for February". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  7. ^ Keith C. Heidorn (2006). "Significant Weather Events in November in the United States". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  8. ^ a b Joe Disco (2003). "December 12 Time Capsule". Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  9. ^ Flahistory.net. ""Today in Florida History" for March". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  10. ^ a b Keith C. Heidorn (2002). "Miami's First Snowfall". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  11. ^ National Climatic Data Center (1993). "Event Report for the '93 Superstorm". Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  12. ^ National Climatic Data Center (1996). "Event Report for Hernando, Levy, and Pasco counties". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  13. ^ Jeffrey M. Medlin (2005). "Evolution of a Central Gulf Coast Heavy Snowband - December 18, 1996". Mobile, Alabama National Weather Service. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  14. ^ Melbourne, Florida National Weather Service (2003). "Cold Temperatures and Snow Flurries in East-Central Florida". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  15. ^ a b Associated Press (2006-11-26). "Snow falls in central Florida as state endures unusual Nov. cold snap". Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  16. ^ WJHG-TV (2007-02-03). "Snow Flurries in Florida". Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  17. ^ Alabama Press Register (2007). "Don't worry; no April sleet today". Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  18. ^ [1]
  19. ^ CNN (2007). "Snow Flurries in Florida". CNN. Retrieved 2008-01-03. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)

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