Snow in Florida? Forecasters say “signs point to yes” – for now

On January 15, 2025By Littum

North Florida could see a rare bout of frozen precipitation next week — though forecasters say the timing needs to be just right for sleet or snow to materialize.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee said Tuesday that a cold front moving through the area on Saturday will bring widespread precipitation, followed by the arrival of “much colder” air and below freezing early next week.

The area could see temperatures drop into the upper 20s as the week begins.

“The biggest question is … will there be moisture?” NWS meteorologist David Reese wrote in an afternoon forecast discussion. “The signs point to yes, but where and how much are the million dollar questions right now.”

Reese went on to say that since it was still seven or eight days away, the Weather Service omitted any mention of winter weather from the official forecast.

“Still, the synoptic pattern in place early next week is such that wintry weather is very much on the table,” Reese wrote. “As always, the small details will dictate what kind of wintry precipitation the region sees, if any.”

Some model runs Tuesday suggested that frozen precipitation — perhaps snow or ice — could penetrate far into the Deep South to include the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend.

However, NWS Tallahassee meteorologist Wright Dobbs said model trends “could change for better or worse” and there was still “a lot of uncertainty” in the forecast.

Dobbs said that after the cold front moves through and colder air settles in, another system could arrive and make contact with wintry precipitation.

“Looking at our history with winter weather here, it’s all about the right timing,” Dobbs said. “You have to have the cold air mass in place and a system that comes in place on top of that. And at least with this upcoming system, we don’t know if we’re going to get that.”

Tallahassee has seen snowfall 33 times since 1891, according to University of Florida researchers. All but eight involved only trace amounts. A local record was set 12-13. February 1958 when nearly 3 inches of snow fell.

In 2018, Tallahassee experienced a rare outbreak of winter weather, including sleet, freezing rain and — for the first time in nearly 30 years — measurable snowfall.

Contact Jeff Burlew at [email protected] or 850-599-2180.