An upcoming winter storm prompted winter storm warnings that extend from Texas to the Florida Panhandle.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency as the Panhandle and other parts of North Florida get hit with frigid weather and face the possibility of snow and ice.
Frigid temperatures engulfed the South on Monday ahead of a winter storm that's expected to spread heavy snow and disruptive ice around a region that rarely sees such weather, prompting winter storm warnings that extend from Texas to the Florida panhandle.
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WATCH HEREDeSantis said that state emergency management and transportation officials are on standby as the Panhandle is expected to face the possibility of snow and ice.
"Please stay attentive to weather conditions and safety alerts from local and state officials. Also, please be careful in icy conditions, especially on the roadways," DeSantis wrote on X.
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DeSantis issued an executive order that said “all modes of hazardous winter weather will be likely, including snow, sleet, and freezing rain.”
Dangerously cold temperatures are being felt across North Florida this week, with possibilities of snow and black ice.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 20, 2025
At my direction, @FLSERT is monitoring this system closely, and @MyFDOT is on standby with snow plows and other equipment for road and bridge safety needs.…
The order said 1 to 3 inches of snow are forecast for the Panhandle and that icy conditions could develop east to the Suwannee River Valley.
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The order said “ice accumulation from freezing rain is the most impactful winter hazard, and significant impacts to roadways, bridges, trees, and powerlines are possible.”
The order, in part, gave authority to Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to take steps to direct the emergency response and ordered the activation of the Florida National Guard “as needed” to respond.
A widespread winter event – with freezing rain, sleet, snow and rain all possible – is expected to move into the region Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, according to forecasters from the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.
Around 40 million people, primarily across the southern U.S., were under some type of weather hazard, including more than 21 million under a winter storm warning.
Here's our estimate for when the winter precipitation could arrive, and when accumulations could begin. Once snow/ice accumulations begin, travel will begin to become hazardous. Travel is not recommended after the onset of accumulations. #FLwx #ALwx #GAwx pic.twitter.com/2giniILEq9
— NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) January 20, 2025
The storm was expected to impact Texas starting Monday evening, spread eastward through Wednesday morning with heavy snow expected along and to the north of the Interstate 10 corridor with sleet and freezing rain in south Texas and southeast Georgia and northern Florida.
