FLORIDA residents have been shocked to find snow on the ground as a historic winter storm is set to sweep through the southeast.
Up to five inches are expected to fall in the heaviest snow forecast in the panhandle of the Sunshine State.
The most snowfall ever recorded in Florida history is four inches, which fell in Milton in 1954.
The first-ever blizzard warning in Florida has now been issued from north of Houston to Central Louisiana.
The snow, sleet, and freezing rain in the southeast are part of a “generational winter storm event,” the National Weather Service said on Monday.
Texas and Louisiana have already got seven inches of snow as the southeast states brace for more freezing temperatures and harsh wind.
The snowfall has brought chaos to areas including Tallahassee and parts of Alabama as the notoriously hot regions are unprepared for the icy weather.
Shocking pictures even show snow covering beach shorelines in Galveston, Texas, and Mississippi.
Officials warned the snow could remain for days because cities don’t have snow plows.
All roads and bridges in Mobile County, Alabama, are considered impassable as they can’t clear the streets.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry expressed his wish for everyone to be safe and cozy at home with a hearty pot of gumbo. Following that sentiment, he then advised drivers to avoid venturing out onto the roads.
The Houston Police Department also warned against traveling.
“The roadways are going to be completely impassable. Do not roll the dice, stay off the ice,” HPD’s Captain Reece Hardy said in a video.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said officials are doing “everything we can to prepare for this winter storm.”
“We will be here to keep you safe and respond to emergencies, but we need your help,” he said, urging people to stay indoors.
Another official, Whitmire, stressed the importance of not putting one’s life or the safety of emergency responders at risk unnecessarily. This could occur if individuals choose to brave dangerous conditions when they could have remained at home instead.
States affected by the snowsorm
The snowstorm sweeping the southeast could hit the following states:
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- New Mexico
- Arkansas
Source: AccuWeather
“Our first responders must remain focused on critical incidents as conditions worsen.”
Houston’s major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby, are also closed in the face of the ice.
Nearly 1,000 flights alone have been canceled at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.
Millions of Americans are being urged to stay inside as the snowstorm could hit over a dozen states.
“For the first time in history, we actually have a blizzard warning in Northwest Florida,” one Floridian on X.
“It just started snowing in Pensacola.”
SNOW SHOCK
Southerners shared their shocked reactions to the rare snowflakes.
“It may be snowing in Florida but it’s definitely snowing on the gulf coast of Texas!” one user wrote on X.
“I live 20 miles from Galveston… I’ve NEVER seen this much snow here before. Pray the power stays on!!”
Another wrote, “It’s incredible to think that North Florida is expecting snow, sleet, ice, and extremely cold winds today and tonight!”
