Milton received 10 inches of snow from Tuesday's storm, while Pensacola had 8.9 inches. Much of that snow later turned to ice when temperatures went down as low as 18 degrees on Wednesday and 23 degrees on Thursday morning − 12 degrees colder than the Wasilla Airport recorded in Alaska.
Not only did Florida get record snowfall, but it was colder in Pensacola this morning than it was in Anchorage, Alaska.
It was so cold across Florida on Thursday morning that temperatures in at least four cities were colder than in Alaska, but a desperately needed warmup was on the way for millions of Americans in the South following a deadly winter storm unmatched in decades.
Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Interstate 10 corridor where snow and ice accumulations could reach 4" over the next 24 hours. Pensacola will likely see the most snowfall in the state while greater amounts of ice are anticipated for cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
Officials are asking Panhandle residents to avoid being on the roads. Freezing temperatures mean icy, dangerous conditions.
Tuesday and Wednesday delivered a winter wonderland for some and delayed travel plans for others as an unusual layer of snow and ice coated North Florida. Preliminary storm data from the National Weather Service show as much as six inches of snow in Bonifay in Holmes County and in Fountain and Cedar Grove in Bay
Warmer temperatures are finally peaking over the horizon in Northwest Florida, but it's still going to be cold.
From Pensacola to Jacksonville, snowfall was reported ranging from inches-deep to a light dusting. A whopping 9.8 inches was recorded in Milton, Fla. a city about 23 miles northeast of Pensacola. In nearby Molino, 9.5 inches of snow was recorded.
Florida is in the rare position of being able to say they have more snow than Massachusetts. In the recent s nowfall on Sunday into Monday, Boston received 5 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Ashburnham and Holden, both in Central Massachusetts, had reports of 7 inches and 7.5 inches of snow.
Florida's capital city could be in line for a historic and thrilling snow day as a freak winter storm slides across the Gulf Coast.
“I’m so glad I’m so much farther south. I moved to Florida to get away from the snow!” commented Jennifer Saxon Halam on his post. According to her Facebook, she lives in Englewood on Florida’s west coast about 88 miles south of Tampa. But just wait: Weather Underground forecasts a low of 38 there next Saturday morning.