North Florida thaws out Thursday after record snowfall and ice shut down roads and schools. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
Florida snowfall records shattered this week, with Pensacola receiving 8.9 inches, per the National Weather Service, easily topping the four inches that fell in 1954. As North Florida defrosts, schools, roads, and airports were reopening for service.
The weather forced closure of Interstate 10 for about 200 miles, from the Alabama border to Gadsden County.
A section of I-10 reopened Thursday afternoon between the state line and mile marker 70, although crews continued to clear ice and slippery conditions the rest of the stretch to Gadsden County, which remained closed.
The National Weather Service reported snowfall totals, including seven inches in Caryville in Washington County, 5.5 inches in Freeport in Walton County, 2.1 inches in Tallahassee, 6.4 inches in Graceville in Jackson County, eight inches in Bonifay in Holmes County, and six inches in Juniper in Gadsden County, Cedar Grove in Bay County, and Blountstown in Calhoun County.
“Everyone should still visit Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday during a roundtable in Jacksonville regarding immigration policy. “This is totally unusual, I thought global warming had stopped this, yet here we are.”
Freezing temperatures Wednesday night into Thursday morning caused accumulated precipitation to refreeze. With Thursday’s sunshine, much of ice and snow was expected to melt, with stretches topped by canopy roads and other shaded areas thawing slower than others.
Northeast and Northern Florida will again go under a National Weather Service-issued freeze warning and cold weather advisory Thursday night into Friday morning, maintaining risk that accumulations could freeze again.
In the warning areas, people can expect temperatures as low as 19 degrees F and windchills as low as 15 degrees F.
For the third night in a row, the service advised people to keep themselves, their pets, and their pipes safe from the cold temperatures.
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Travel
The most up-to-date road conditions are posted to Florida 511.
FDOT snowplows are clearing the remaining snow and ice from the travel lanes and shoulders of I-10 in NW Florida. Thank you to our crews for their non-stop work over the past 48 hours to open this vital corridor. pic.twitter.com/x4WA6VxpQl
— FDOT District 3 (@MyFDOT_NWFL) January 23, 2025
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Tallahassee Police Department have closed several roads throughout the city.
Commercial flights were mostly back up and running by noon Thursday, with airports in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Panama City, Pensacola, and Destin-Fort Walton sending off and accepting most flights.
State offices in Calhoun, Escambia, Holmes, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Washington counties will be closed Friday.
Schools
Twenty counties closed schools Thursday. Nine — Calhoun, Escambia, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton — canceled classes for Friday.
Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and University of West Florida will not hold classes Friday.
Northwest Florida State College, Tallahassee State College, and Pensacola State College canceled classes for Friday.
Wildlife
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission encouraged people to report distressed, injured, or dead sea turtles to the commission’s hotline, 888-404-3922.
The agency reported 30 sea turtles rescued in Gulf County.
An act of dedication- Two of our officers were undeterred during this historic weather event in FL. They braved the freezing water in #GulfCounty to rescue 30 sea turtles! pic.twitter.com/x3CSwloEug
— MyFWC (@MyFWC) January 23, 2025
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