Snow in Florida next week? Arctic air could bring a rare possibility

As we look ahead to next week, there's an unusual possibility for snow in Florida. Yes, you heard that right — snow!

What we know:

There's going to be an area of low pressure that comes out of the Gulf of Mexico and tracks across Florida early next week.

With Arctic air coming down from the north, there will likely be frozen precipitation from Tuesday night into Wednesday in the Panhandle and North Florida. 

The Arctic air arrives Sunday night in Florida, with rain, freezing rain, sleet or snow arriving in the state by Tuesday night. Freezing rain is possible in the Ocala and Gainesville areas.

The region most likely to see this potential snowfall is the Suwannee River Valley and areas of North Florida. This includes the Florida Panhandle and areas along I-10 that are most likely to see snow, while ice could develop just south of those regions, with rain farther south. 

What we don't know:

"There is still some discrepancy in the positioning of this ice storm for North Central Florida," said FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Noah Bergren. "I think the snowstorm aspect will stay to our north."

The Global Forecast System (GFS) and European models differ as to what will be snow and what will be freezing rain.

"My personal opinion is that the European model is probably more realistic here because the Euro handles Arctic air a lot better. I don't think the American model is quite grasping how cold it's going to be. Historically, this model performs a lot better in this type of setup, which means ice a lot further south," Bergren explained.

Right now, Orlando specifically is likely to see just cold rain. Currently, draw a line from Marion County to Flagler County and that is where the transition from rain to ice could be overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning. 

We will find out much more in the coming days.

Timeline:

 If things align, northern Florida could see a light dusting of snow on Monday night, with amounts ranging from a light coating to as much as an inch in some areas.

It’s important to note, this is just a potential scenario. Florida is known for its warm, sunny weather, and snow here is a rare sight.

Why could Florida see snow?

A strong Arctic cold front is moving down from the north. While places like Georgia and Alabama will get the full blast of the cold, Florida will just be a bit colder than usual.

However, this cold air could be enough to bring some snow to parts of North Florida, but it will likely be short-lived and only in certain areas.

How cold does it have to be to snow?

According to FOX Weather, for snowflakes to form, it needs to be 32 degrees or colder, but it doesn’t have to be exactly 32 degrees at the ground level for snow to actually fall.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the FOX 35 Storm Team and FOX Weather.

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