Snow flurries in Florida amid arctic freeze: photos and videos

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Tracking the Florida Freeze: Winds picking up before the cold

The winds have picked up and the cold air is moving in. Gusty winds will continue thru the overnight ushering in the frigid air to come. Because of the winds staying gusty tomorrow morning, temperatures will feel as if they are in the single digits. Meteorologist Laurel Blanchard has the latest timing. Stay warm out there Central Florida.

For the second year in a row – and the second time this year – snowflakes fell in Florida.

The National Weather Service has confirmed snow flurries were spotted in a handful of places around the Sunshine State on Saturday:

- Tallahassee

- White Springs

- Jacksonville

- Williston (Levy County)

- Alachua County

- Citrus County

- Hernando County

Here are some of the photos and videos that were shared with FOX 35.

The backstory:

Most of northern and central Florida were under extreme cold warnings, freeze warnings, and/or wind advisories as a massive blast of arctic air moved across the state. Temperatures are expected to dip into the teens, 20s, and 30s in spots in Central Florida with the wind chill lowering the temperatures even more.

With the wind chill, the risks for hypothermia increase, especially if someone is exposed to the cold for a really long time. Additional risks for those vulnerable, as well as plants, pipes, and pets.

Is it snow? Rain sprinkles? Drizzle? Frozen ice pellets? Graupel?

FOX 35's Brooks Garner said true snowflakes fell in northern Florida on Saturday – though said true snowflakes may not yet have fallen in Orlando.

He said there are several factors that make a true snowflake, DGZ, the dendritic growth zone.

"That is the layer where snow crystals are actually born. In North Florida right now, that box is checked. Supercooled water vapor is attaching to dendrites and growing flakes.

Central Florida does not have that setup," Garner wrote.

The Source: The information is from the FOX 35 Storm Team, National Weather Service, as well as photos and videos from FOX 35 viewers.

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