It is rare for snow to fall in Florida because freezing temperatures in Florida are generally caused by the cold and dry winds of anticyclones. Will there be a white Christmas this year? The first white Christmas recorded in Florida was in northeastern Florida on December 23, 1989.
Although it is possible for it to snow in South Florida, it’s unlikely. The last time South Florida saw snow was on January 19, 1977. Officially it was reported by the National Weather Service as a trace of snow and quickly dissipated. What caused the snow that day? Extremely cold air at higher levels combined with a low-pressure disturbance created moisture in the atmosphere, the weather service says.
Some Florida facts about Snow Fall from Weather Underground:
- The greatest ‘statewide’ snowfall occurred during the famous East Coast blizzard and cold wave of February 1899 (the same event that brought sub-zero temperatures to Florida for the first and only time).
- On February 13th, 1899, snowflakes were observed as far south as Fort Meyers, and a general 1”+ accumulation occurred statewide north of Gainesville. Jacksonville recorded its greatest modern accumulation of 1.9”, 2.1” was measured at Pensacola, and up to 6” was anecdotally reported near the Georgia border in northwest Florida. The highest official amount was 3.5” at Haywood.
- The furthest south snowflakes have been reported is at Homestead (south of Miami 25° 18’ N) on January 19, 1977.
- The deepest snowfall officially measured in the state was 4.0” at Milton Experimental Station in the NW corner on March 6, 1954.
So how can you have a white Christmas in Florida? Ultimately, you may need to rent a snow machine.