Small part of Sunshine State becomes Snowy State as Florida gets snow second year in a row
Jan 18, 2026, 7:08 AM | Updated: 9:26 am
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A small part of Florida is the Snowy State for the second year in a row.
Snow briefly covered the grass and rooftops in parts of the western Florida Panhandle on Sunday morning as just enough frigid air rushed in behind a cold front to turn the last rain showers into snowflakes in the Sunshine State.
And it wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Less than a year ago, on Jan. 21, 2025, some of those same areas saw up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow in what was the most significant snowfall in many places since the late 1800s.
Snow photos flooded social media. There were a few flakes on the beach and snow nestled into palm fronds. It was too warm to stick to the roads, but a dusting of snow sat on the grass for a little while before mostly melting.
The rare snow in the South wasn’t just in Florida. Southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia also reported snow in areas that also got to celebrate a second winter wonderland in less than a year.
Snow covered the ground in Columbus and Macon, Georgia, and officials warned enough might fall to make travel treacherous.
