Wave pattern in jet stream drives rare snow event across the Florida Panhandle

Snowfall in Florida is rare due to the state’s humid subtropical and tropical climate, which keeps winter temperatures mostly above freezing.

The light accumulation observed on January 18 mostly affected the Panhandle region, including Pensacola, Walton, Holmes, and Jackson counties. The snow was short-lived, dusting rooftops and grassy areas before dissipating as surface temperatures rose above 0°C (32°F).

Around 2.3 mm (0.09 inches) of snow was measured at Pensacola International Airport during a six-hour period ending at 05:53 local time (LT).

Light flurries were also reported in nearby areas along the Alabama–Florida border. The snowfall resulted from a narrow band of moisture interacting with a deep intrusion of Arctic air moving south behind a strong cold front.

Consecutive years of measurable snowfall are rare in Florida, with about 52 such events reported since 1900. There are only around 9 such streaks during that period, with the longest streak tied between 1951-55 and 2014-18.

This year’s snowfall followed the record-breaking 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard, which deposited up to 226 mm (8.9 inches) of snow in Pensacola and up to 254 mm (10 inches) in nearby Milton. That storm broke records set in February 1895, when Pensacola measured 76 mm (3 inches).

Other major snow events include the Great Blizzard of 1899, which brought flurries as far south as Fort Myers; the January 1977 event, when snow briefly fell in Miami for the first time on record; and the December 1989 snowfall that covered Jacksonville and Tallahassee.

The snowfall this year was caused by the interaction of strong Arctic air and an active subtropical jet stream extending into the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The jet stream has taken a wave-like shape with the bulge covering the western half of the U.S. while the dip covers the eastern half. This configuration sucked in the Arctic air from Canada through the Midwest into the eastern U.S.

This configuration was also responsible for creating snow squalls in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and blizzard conditions across the Midwest, and brought heavy snow to the Northeast over the last few days.

Read more:

References:

¹ Rare Snowfall Dusts Florida Panhandle – Weather.com – January 18, 2026

² Rare snow falling in Florida as winter storm targets the South with more to come for Georgia, Carolinas – Fox Weather – January 16, 2026

Rishav Kothari

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.

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