Florida breaks all-time snowfall record as historic winter storm sweeps through the Southeast
A historic winter storm swept through the southeastern United States this week, bringing heavy snowfall across nine states and claiming 10 lives. In Florida, Pensacola experienced unprecedented snowfall, with reports of 13 – 30 cm (5 – 12 inches) on January 21 surpassing the state’s all-time snowfall record of 10 cm (4 inches) set in Milton in 1954.
Image credit: FLDOT
- The severe winter storm brought unprecedented snowfall to nine states, with several cities breaking long-standing records.
- Pensacola recorded 19.1 cm (7.5 inches) of snow, surpassing its previous record of 7.6 cm (3 inches), while Milton preliminarily set a new state record of 24.9 cm (9.8 inches).
- New Orleans experienced its heaviest snowfall since 1948, with a total accumulation of 25.4 cm (10 inches), marking the first measurable snowfall in the city since 2009.
A severe winter storm swept across the southeastern United States, bringing record snowfall to nine states and leaving heavy accumulations across multiple regions.
Florida preliminarily broke its all-time snow record for any single storm by Tuesday night, January 21, with 24.9 cm (9.8 inches) recorded in Milton. This exceeded the previous state record of 10.2 cm (4 inches), set on March 6, 1954, in the same area.
“We seldom experience significant measurable snowfall in Florida. The last snowfall occurred in 2014, and it was quite limited,” NWS meteorologist Michael Mugrage said.
Although the figures from this storm are unofficial until verified by the State Climate Extreme Committee, they have been gathered from reliable volunteer observers trained by the NWS.
“It has to go through a full process to be listed as the official record,” Mugrage said.
Just about 30 km (20 miles) SW of Milton, 19.1 cm (7.6 inches) of snowfall was measured at Pensacola International Airport, breaking the state record set in 1954 but still below the value measured in Milton.
The weather station at the NWS office in Mobile, Alabama recorded 19.05 cm (7.5 inches) of snow, breaking the previous record of 15.2 cm (6 inches) set in 1895.
A rare thundersnow was reported near Lafayette, Louisiana, on Tuesday morning as heavy snow blanketed the area. By the storm’s end, Lafayette received 26.7 cm (10.5 inches) of snow, while Chalmette reported 29.2 cm (11.5 inches), the highest snowfall total in the state.
Grand Coteau, Louisiana, recorded 34 cm (13.4 inches) of snow, which may challenge the state’s 24-hour snowfall record of 33 cm (13 inches), set in Colfax in 1960, if verified.
The storm caused the closure of numerous roads in Louisiana, including sections of I-10 and I-55.
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in New Orleans recorded 7.6 cm (3 inches) of snow in just two hours on Tuesday, with a total accumulation of 20.3 cm (8 inches). This marked the heaviest snowfall in the city since at least 1948, when official records began.
Total snowfall in New Orleans reached 25.4 cm (10 inches), marking the city’s first measurable snowfall since 2009.
Gulfport, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama, had last experienced measurable snowfall during the winter of 2013 – 2014. However, both regions received snowfall on Tuesday, with Mobile Regional Airport setting a preliminary all-time snow record of 19.1 cm (7.5 inches).
The storm’s second-highest snowfall total was reported near Babbie, Alabama, with 27.9 cm (11 inches).
References:
1 Storm Summary Number 4 for Gulf Coast and Southeast Winter Storm – NWS/WPC – January 22, 2025
2 Florida shatters all-time snowfall record as ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ storm blankets Gulf Coast – AccuWeather – January 22, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.