Raise your hand if you remember Florida’s “great snowfall” of 1977. On Jan. 19, Floridians — Lakelanders included — awoke to snowfall, bringing up to two inches in some spots.
While the snow day did cause a few driving mishaps, it seemed as though most celebrated the once-in-a-lifetime snowfall by catching flakes on their tongues and making hot chocolate.
Check out a few more snowtable facts about Florida’s relationship with snow days:
❄️ The earliest recorded snowfall in Florida was in 1774. It was such a phenomenon that some Jacksonville residents called the snow “extraordinary white rain.”
❄️ The first “White Christmas” in Florida’s history was in 1989, with several inches in some areas. The snow even reached as far south as Pinellas County.
❄️ In January of 2020, there were reports of graupel (soft hail or snow pellets) in South Florida, spanning across coastal Palm Beach and Broward Counties. We should have known 2020 was going to be weird based on this alone.
❄️ Some Polk County residents also thought they saw snow in January 2025, but sadly, the National Weather Service debunked the claims.
