Florida’s winter weather has taken a dramatic turn from the predicted warmer winter than is typical. The Sunshine State has seen multiple dips into freezing temperatures the last two weeks, especially in north Florida. And this week, the week of Monday, Jan. 13, kicked off with cold rain for most of north Florida.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, it was actually warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than it was in some parts of Florida in the early morning hours. Six Florida cities were colder, and two others matched the Alaska city’s low temperature of 45 degrees (41 degrees, with wind chill).
But even with Alaska-level cold last week and cold rainfall across north Florida on Monday, we still won’t get close to the coldest day ever recorded in Florida, which was a below-zero-degree day in the 19th century.
Here’s when the coldest day in Florida history was, the last time it snowed in the state, if it will snow this year and which month is coldest in Florida.
What is the coldest Florida has ever been? Florida’s coldest days, temperatures
The coldest day ever recorded in Florida history was in 1899, when the temperature dropped to -2 degrees one day before Valentine’s Day. The highest temperature for that day was 22 degrees.
“On February 13, 1899, the all-time coldest temperature of -2°F was recorded in Tallahassee. This remains the state record,” the National Weather Service says.
“The all-time lowest maximum temperature for Tallahassee of 22°F was also set on this date. Snow fell in Tallahassee during this record cold outbreak, but there are no records as to how much snow actually accumulated.”
Here’s a list of significant impact freezes that hit the state throughout history, from the Florida Climate Center at FSU:
The temperatures listed are for Tallahassee, Florida.
This week’s weather in Florida: Warm front, cold fronts, showers, drought conditions.
Will it snow in Florida this year?
Some people thought Florida might see snow last week, with freezing temperatures sweeping the state, but there was little to no precipitation to make that possible.
Forecasts and weather predictions aren’t 100 percent accurate, but it isn’t likely that Florida will see any snow at all in 2025. Unless there is another freezing cold front, combined with the right amount of moisture in the air and a high enough chance for precipitation, the only thing Floridians might see fall from the sky this winter is rain.
What is the coolest month in Florida?
January is typically the coldest month of Florida’s winters. Of the 13 significant impact freezes on the Climate Center’s list (above), six of them took place in January.
Florida winter 2024 forecast: What will La Niña mean for rain, cold weather?
Weather in Daytona Beach, Florida: Here’s the five-day forecast
While north Florida won’t see below-zero temperatures this week or get close to the coldest day ever recorded in the state, it will stay chilly for the next few days – particularly at night and in the early morning hours.
This week in north Florida will be slightly warmer and sunnier than last week. Although predicted highs will reach the low 70s this week, temperatures are expected to dip into the 40s again by Tuesday next week.
Here’s AccuWeather’s forecast for the next five days in Daytona Beach:
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Today, Tuesday, Jan. 14: High of 58, Low of 47, breezy and partly cloudy
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Wednesday, Jan. 15: High of 58, Low of 47, breezy and partly cloudy
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Thursday, Jan. 16: High of 61, Low of 43, sunny
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Friday, Jan. 17: High of 64, Low of 54, sunny
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Saturday, Jan. 18: High of 73, Low of 64, cloudy with a 30% chance of rain
Has Florida ever seen snow? When was the last time Florida had snow?
Yes, Florida has seen snow more than 80 times since 1886. The last time snow was recorded in Florida was on Jan. 28, 2014, when there was 1 inch of snow in Pensacola.
The first documented account of snow in Florida was reported in 1774, according to the Florida Climate Center.
“Since 1886, there have been more than 80 months in which at least a trace of snow has been reported somewhere in the state,” according to the Climate Center.
On Jan. 19, 1977, snow fell in South Florida for the first time in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service.
Here are some examples of snow experiences in Florida since 1950, from the Climate Center:
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February 2, 1951: “Two inches were reported in St. Augustine and Crescent City.”
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March 6, 1954: “Four inches were reported at the Milton Experimental Station; this total holds as the 24-hour state snowfall record.”
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February 13, 1958: “Rain changed to snow; 1.5 inches were reported in Jacksonville, and 2.8 inches reported in Tallahassee.”
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February 9-10, 1973: “A large snowstorm that affected the Southeast U.S. brought 1.8 inches of snow in Pensacola on the 9th and 0.4 inches in Tallahassee on the 10th. Flurries were reported as far south as Lisbon and Clermont.”
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January 17-19, 1977: “Snow started falling in Pensacola on the 17th. On the 19th, flurries were reported as far south as Homestead. Areas along I-4 (Tampa/Orlando) reported 1 to 2 inches of snow.”
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December 23, 1989: “Rain changed to snow in Jacksonville, and totals of several inches were reported in some locations; the city had its first White Christmas.”
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March 12, 1993: “The ’93 Superstorm produced up to 4 inches of snow along the Florida Panhandle.”
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November 21, 2006: “A dusting of snow fell over portions of central Florida, the first November snow in the state since 1912.”
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January 8-9, 2010: “A light dusting of snow was seen in Jacksonville. Light snow fell in parts of central Florida with sleet/snow reported in Orlando, Tampa, and Melbourne. Flurries are reported in West Palm Beach and Kendall.”
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December 26, 2010: “A mix of snow and sleet was reported in Jacksonville, with a freezing fog event around midnight. Tallahassee, Gainesville, and other locations in the northern peninsula reported flurries during the day.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Snow in Florida? Not this year, but here’s a list of times it did snow