8 Inches Of Snow Forecast In FL; State Of Emergency Declared

FLORIDA — A rare winter storm is expected to bring snow and ice along the U.S. Gulf coast, from Texas into northern Florida, Tuesday into Wednesday, forecasters said. A cold weather advisory is in effect for Tampa Bay, with wind chills as low as 25 degrees that could cause frostbite and hypothermia.

Winter storm warnings have been issued for the western Florida Panhandle and east along the Interstate 10 corridor, according to a State of Emergency issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.

Snowfall of 1 to 3 inches are forecast for the Panhandle with locally higher amounts of 3 to 4 inches in some locations, according to the emergency order.

The latest models even call for 4 to 8 inches of snow in some parts of the Panhandle, News 6 said.

Ice accumulation of 1/10 to ¼ inch is expected from the eastern Panhandle through the Suwannee River Valley. Higher ice accumulations “cannot be ruled out” further inland in north Florida, the governor’s office said.

“Ice accumulation from freezing rain is the most impactful winter hazard, and significant impacts to roadways, bridges, trees, and powerlines are possible,” according to the state of emergency. “Hazardous driving conditions will exist Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, especially over bridges, overpasses, and elevated surfaces, leading to possible roadway and bridge closures across North Florida; and dangerously cold wind chills and prolonged freezing and sub-freezing temperatures are expected for North and North-Central Florida for the next several days.”

The last time there was enough snow to measure in Jacksonville, Florida, was during the Christmas week storm of 1989, when nearly 2 inches fell, AccuWeather meteorologists said.

The all-time single storm snowfall record in the state was when 4 inches accumulated in Milton in 1954, according to News 6.

"Snow is one thing. Ice is a problem," FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg said, noting that a quarter-inch to a half-inch of ice accumulation in areas like Tallahassee and Jacksonville would be "significant."

The upper Texas coast into part of the Louisiana coast also has “an unprecedented blizzard warning” in effect Tuesday, according to AccuWeather. “For parts of the western and northern Gulf coast, this could be the biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years and possibly one that people may remember for decades.”

The snow and ice will stay north of Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area, though cold rain will “funnel in from time to time” Tuesday, Osterberg said.

The rain will continue into Wednesday morning, with lows in the 30s at the northern part of the Tampa Bay region and into the 40s further south.

The cold weather advisory is in effect from 1 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, and includes Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties, along with the cities of Sarasota, Clearwater,
Brandon, Lakeland, Tampa, Bradenton, Port Richey, and St. Petersburg, according to the National Weather Service.