The 2025 Gulf Coast Blizzard: History, Science, and Perspectives from a Floridian Turned New Englander

By Alex Branton

As a Florida native and a life-long weather enthusiast, I was always left wondering what it would be like to experience snow. Don’t get me wrong, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and tornadoes would never fail to excite me, but snow was a meteorological phenomenon that sadly seemed out of the realm of possibility in Gulf Breeze, FL. Having since moved to New England, the allure of snow has only grown stronger.

Growing up in northwest Florida, cold temperatures were not uncommon in the winter months, but these would only last a couple of days before warm temperatures returned. I remember the precautions that my parents and neighbors would take to protect their properties against the cold, including wrapping outdoor water pipes with towels and spraying citrus trees with water to coat them in a protective layer of ice. Everyone in town would also pull out the one sweater that they owned and wear it proudly for the few chilly days that we had. This is typically the extent of winter preparation in Gulf Breeze, FL. Although I never had the opportunity to experience true snow while growing up, there were two occasions where we had “snow days” off from school. Each of these occurrences resulted from a few hours of flurries during the overnight hours. We woke up to a thin layer of ice covering cars, roofs, and roads. Although these conditions are no big deal for areas in northern parts of the country, Florida has no infrastructure in place to alleviate the dangers of ice. Nobody keeps an ice scraper in their cars, there are no plows or salt trucks to treat the roads, and not everybody has a heating system in their homes. The only solution is to close all roads, businesses, and schools for one day until temperatures warm and the ice melts away. Mostly everyone managed quite well during both of these events, with many seeing it as a rare excuse to stay home with friends and family. On January 21, 2025, however, Floridians across the panhandle experienced an unprecedented winter weather event.

The earliest known record of winter weather in Florida dates back to 1765. Since then, there have been 73 reported winter weather events in the state. Most of them are described as short-lived flurries in the northernmost portions of the state. Some, however, report up to a few inches of accumulated snow in localized areas. In my home city of Pensacola, FL, the previous snowfall record was set in February 1895 with a storm total of 3 inches. This record held until January 2025 when a winter storm swept across the Southeast United States. The storm shattered snowfall records across the Gulf Coast, with storm totals of 8 to 10 inches in areas around Pensacola. This historic weather event was coined The 2025 Gulf Coast Blizzard.

The 2025 Gulf Coast Blizzard was a result of a perfectly-timed, unique combination of atmospheric and oceanic conditions. On January 21st, an arctic blast was felt all the way into the Deep South and sent temperatures plummeting. Meanwhile, a low-pressure system was taking shape southwest of the Florida coastline in the Gulf. Warm Gulf waters ensured that the developing system had a deep supply of moisture in the atmosphere overhead. Circulation around the low and high pressure over the central United States meant that moisture from the Gulf was directed north toward the coast. Cold air already in place due to the arctic blast meant that precipitation was able to fall as snow in these areas. Winds were also high due to the tight pressure gradient between contrasting pressure systems. High winds and heavy snow were able to produce blizzard conditions in many areas across the Gulf Coast.

A storm that produces 8 to 10 inches of snow is impactful anywhere in the country, but in Florida, this event was unprecedented. Heavy snow shocked Floridians, giving many their first winter storm experience. As snow was falling, friends and family sent me photos and videos of the event. Although I was only able to share the experience with them through a phone screen, I could feel their sense of disbelief. There were certainly mixed emotions, with some of my loved ones excited and happy at the sight of snow while others were apprehensive and anxious for it to melt. Regardless, everyone seemed to share the same sense of captivation by the aesthetic of a snow-covered lawn and frosted palm trees. My parents, both of whom dislike the cold, decided to hunker down at home and enjoy the sight through the windows. My mom, “made a pot of chili and flipped on the gas fireplace,” while she and my dad, “binge-watched 5 full seasons of a TV show.”

They noted that “the roads were totally iced over with 5-7 inches of snow so [they] were stuck at home,” for a few days. My sister, her roommates, and their dog seemed to enjoy playing in the snow. They may have been hesitant at first, noting that their dog couldn’t figure out how to play with his ice-covered toys, but quickly learned how to have fun. She mentioned that, “roads were closed for 3 days,” and she was sad to see the snow melt. After a few snow days, temperatures warmed and the roadways cleared from the snow. Life went on as usual for those in the Florida Panhandle, with warm weather and sunshine taking over once again.