TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday cautioned about potentially record snow and dangerous road conditions as freezing temperatures were expected to sweep across northern Florida later Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
“We are expecting snow in many parts of North Florida,” DeSantis told reporters at the state Emergency Operations Center. “The forecast now is 2 to 4 inches. It's possible you could have localized accumulation of up to 6 inches.”
By mid-day, snow was falling across the northwestern tier of the state with roadways in some areas such as Escambia County and Santa Rosa County becoming slick with the wet, white and freezing precipitation.
A big concern was icy roads from a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain as temperatures are expected to remain at freezing levels for a couple of days.
The National Weather Service urged Floridians against travel: "A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect across the region. The well advertised winter storm is still forecast to move through the region today. The greatest impacts are to occur by mid to late this afternoon into early Wednesday morning as a snow, a mix of winter precipitation, and freezing rain occur. Even after the precipitation ends tonight, temperatures below freezing will still create very hazardous conditions on area roadways. Travel is NOT recommended."
State Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned that ice of up to a half-inch thick will affect roads and could result in power outages in the Panhandle and North Florida’s Big Bend region.
“If you do not need to be on the road, do not be on the road,” Guthrie said. “If you have to be on the road, make sure you're utilizing the low speeds. Make sure that you know how to drive in these conditions. If you don't, it might be better just to walk.”
School districts across the Panhandle and Big Bend canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday, while counties have started to open cold-weather shelters. State offices were slated to close at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Leon County. State offices will be closed Wednesday across North Florida, from Escambia County to Nassau County, and as far south as Marion County, according to the Florida Department of Management Services website.
The state has crews on standby to help electric co-ops that could have more difficulty responding to power outages. Also, the state will have rescue teams west of the Apalachicola River to assist people stranded by the storm and more than 250 Florida Department of Transportation employees ready to go where needed with deicing chemicals and 11 snowplows.
“Now, our infrastructure is designed differently than states that are used to this,” DeSantis said. “If this were South Dakota, they would just shrug their shoulders. We are designed a little bit differently.”
The National Weather Service on Tuesday forecast a potential for sleet, freezing rain and “a historic snowfall” along the Gulf Coast because of a combination of Arctic air and a developing low pressure system over the gulf.
The forecast said snowfall of 1 inch an hour or more was possible from eastern Texas through the western Florida Panhandle.
“This may produce snowfall totals as much as 3-6 inches for the I-10 (Interstate 10) corridor, including the cities of Houston, New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola,” the weather service forecast said.
The storm also could lead to road closures and flight cancellations.
DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency. Also, state legislative leaders canceled committee meetings that were scheduled Wednesday and Thursday in Tallahassee.