Snow in Florida facts for kids

Ice and snow on the Pensacola Bay Bridge. This happened on January 29, 2014 after a winter storm.

The U.S. state of Florida is famous for its sunny weather, not snow! It's very rare for snow to fall in Florida. Most of the time, big cities like Miami don't even get enough snow to measure. Only some parts of northern Florida see snow a bit more often.

The National Weather Service says that the Florida Keys and Key West haven't had a single snow flurry in over 300 years! In cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach, people have only seen snow once. This happened in January 1977. It was just a quick snow flurry, and it hasn't happened again in those cities since.

Why Does Florida Rarely Get Snow?

Florida has a climate that is mostly subtropical. This means it's usually warm and sunny. Temperatures cold enough for snow don't last very long.

What is Needed for Snow in Florida?

For snow to fall in Florida, several things need to happen:

• A very cold air current, called a polar jet stream, has to move far south. It needs to travel all the way through Texas and over the Gulf of Mexico.
• A cold front must then stop around the southern part of Florida.
• This cold front needs to curve towards the northeast. This brings very cold air into the clouds, which is needed for snow to form.

Frost vs. Snow: What's the Difference?

You might see frost in Florida more often than snow. Frost needs a temperature of 32°F (0°C) or colder. It also needs clear skies and high relative humidity. Snow needs even colder temperatures higher up in the sky, and the air all the way down to the ground must stay cold enough for the snow not to melt.

When Has it Snowed in Florida?

Snowfall in Florida is so unusual that people remember it for a long time!

Earliest Snowfall Records

The first time people recorded snow in Florida was in 1774. People at the time were very surprised. They called it "extraordinary white rain" because they had never seen anything like it before!

White Christmas in Florida

Imagine a White Christmas in Florida! It's very rare. The first recorded White Christmas in northeast Florida happened on December 23, 1989. It was a special day for those who saw it.

Images for kids

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  Snowball fight on the steps of the Florida Capitol, February 1899

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  Satellite image for the January 24, 2003, snowfall

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Nevadas en Florida para niños