Areas of northern Florida are under a winter storm warning starting on Tuesday, as snow and ice accumulations may be possible in the Sunshine State.
Why It Matters
A winter storm is heading for Southern and Gulf states that could affect travel, and roads and bridges could become slick, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its warning.
Meanwhile, other portions of the U.S. have been facing dangerously low temperatures, with an Arctic blast hitting the areas with wind chills as low as -50 degrees.
What To Know
The NWS Weather Prediction Center said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “heavy snow is expected along and north of Interstate 10 corridor with swaths of sleet and freezing rain over South Texas and southeast Georgia/northern Florida.”
Interstate 10 is a major travel artery in Florida that runs east to west, from Jacksonville to Pensacola.
The NWS maps of the winter weather warning includes the cities of Pensacola, De Funiak Springs, Panama City, Tallahassee, Perry, Lake City, Gainesville and Fernandina Beach. The warning goes into effect on Tuesday afternoon and goes until Wednesday afternoon.
Below are the areas in Florida under the winter storm warning from the NWS:
What People Are Saying
The NWS Jacksonville office said in its alert: “Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations around two tenths of an inch.”
The alert also advises to travelers to “keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.”
The NWS Tallahassee office said Monday on X: “While snow will impact travel and likely make roads icy, it’s the freezing rain potential of this system that could bring the most concern. From a @TECtwwi official, 0.1 inches of ice on their grid can begin to cause power outages. Please remember generator and heating safety!”
Photo by Chris Livingston/Getty Images
The NWS forwarded the NWS Weather Prediction Center’s key messages in an emailed response to Newsweek on Monday, saying in part: “Several factors for the potential winter storm remain uncertain, and forecast changes are anticipated as the potential winter storm draws closer. Keep up to date with the latest forecast information at weather.gov.”
The Florida Department of Transportation District 3 said on X Monday: “FDOT will conduct winter weather operations beginning today at 2 pm across NW Florida in preparation for freezing temperatures and precipitation forecast in the area. Crews will deploy various tankers and bridge deck sprayers to apply anti-icing products on bridges & overpasses.”
What Happens Next
The alerts across Florida related to this warning expire by Wednesday afternoon, the NWS said.