Snow made a brief and rare appearance across parts of the western Florida Panhandle early Sunday, as a surge of frigid air behind a cold front transformed lingering rain showers into snowflakes, an unusual
sight in the Sunshine State.
The snowfall was light but visible, dusting grass and rooftops in several areas. Photos and videos quickly flooded social media, showing flakes drifting onto beaches and settling delicately into palm fronds. While temperatures were too warm for snow to accumulate on roads, a thin layer lingered on lawns before melting away.
Remarkably, the event was not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Less than a year earlier, on January 21, 2025, some of the same regions recorded up to 8 inches (20 centimetres) of snowmarking the most significant snowfall there since the late 1800s.
IT’S SNOWING IN FLORIDA!!! – The Florida Panhandle is a winter wonderland this morning! It’s the second January in a row with snow there! ☃️❄️🌨️ #flwx pic.twitter.com/2bD56cVBUz
— Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) January 18, 2026
The rare winter weather extended beyond Florida. Parts of southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia also reported snowfall, allowing residents to experience a second “winter wonderland” in under a year. Snow blanketed the ground in cities such as Columbus and Macon, Georgia, where officials cautioned that accumulation could make travel hazardous.
For many across the Deep South, the brief snowfall was a reminder that even the warmest regions can still be surprised by winter’s chill.
