The Florida Cold Front That Caused As Much Damage As a Hurricane

It snowed all over Florida

Floridians pose around a snowman (Public domain / FL State Archives)

Florida is known for many things, but snow is not one of them. Every once in a while, the meteorological stars align, and snow comes to the Sunshine State. There have been a few instances where measurable snow has fallen in Florida, but oftentimes these incidents are confined to the northernmost regions of the state, especially in the panhandle.

Two of the most noticeable snowfalls occurred around Tallahassee in 1899 and again in 1958, but the most widespread snow event took place in 1977.

The tremendous cold wave of 1977 brought snow as far south as Homestead and wreaked more economic havoc than anyone could have predicted.

Here is how it happened.

Arctic air mass

Surface map from January 1977 (NOAA / Public domain)

In January of 1977, a solid mass of Arctic air slid down from the north. This is a common occurrence in the winter, and it leads to some of the coldest temperatures of the season. This air often never reaches the heart of the Deep South due to a complex web of factors. Florida is usually extremely insulated from cold air masses…