Northeast Florida from time to time sees frozen rain, ice and even snow. The occurrence is rare- it only happens about once every 5 years. Winter weather events have occurred in five out of the twelve months (November, December, January, February & March). The heaviest snowfall officially recorded in Jacksonville was back in 1958 when 1.5 inches of snow fell at the airport. However, during the coastal winter storm of 1989 locations between Downtown and the beaches reported upwards of 3 inches of snow.
Significant winter weather events:
1852: Snow reported in
Jacksonville [.5 inches] – January 13
1855: Light snow reported in Jacksonville – February 28
1869: Light sleet event during evening hours – January 29
1869: Morning snow flurries in Jacksonville – February 28
1873: Snow flurries reported in Jacksonville – January 10
1879: Sleet event in Jacksonville during evening hours. Freezing rain covered trees
and other outside objects. Orange trees had significant damage – January 4
1879: Light snow reported in Fernandina – January 5
1892: Light snow flurries reported in Jacksonville – December 27
1893: Snow reported in downtown Palatka – January 16
1893: Snow in Jacksonville turns into rain overnight – January 18
1895: Sleet turns into light snow during evening hours in – February 14
1899: Great Blizzard impacts region: At 9:45 pm, rain changed to sleet at Jacksonville.
Sleet then changed to snow at 10:15 pm and continued through the night. [Around
2 inches] – February 12
1907: Light snow flurries in NE Florida – February 7
1912: Overnight snow covered parts of North Florida [0.5 inches] – November 27
1951: Light snow over parts of NE Florida – February 1
1951: Accumulations of 2 inches reported in St. Augustine and Crescent City –
February 3
1952: Light snow/sleet reported over northern part of state- [No accumulations]
– December 14
1958: Overnight rains
changed to snow. Snow reported in Jacksonville and heavier amounts westward [1.5
inches] - February 3
1962: Worst ice storm in city’s history. Around 16 hours of freezing rain. –
January 12
1980: Overnight snow covered the tops of outdoor items in Jacksonville [.25
inches] – March 2
1986: 1: Snow accumulated in Jacksonville overnight but quickly melted during
sunny morning [.5 inches] – March 1
1989: Light rain turns into freezing rain during evening hours – December 23
1989: Freezing rain turns into snow and leads to a white Christmas in history [JIA
= 0.8 inches; NAS Jax 1 = 1 inch; Jax Beach = 2.5 inches] – December 24
2010: Light dusting of snow in Jacksonville. Wintry mix in other locations –
January 8
2010: Light snow/sleet reported in Jacksonville – December 26
2014: Major winter storm result in widespread freezing rain/snow in Southeast.
I-10 shut down. No reported accumulations in Jacksonville – January 29
2015: Snow flurries reported in various locations in NE Florida – January 8
2016: Snow flurries reported over NE Florida, as far south as Gainesville – January
6
2018: Major winter storm over Southeast produces snow/sleet/freezing rain. Schools
shut down due to winter WX threat. Record ice accumulations in Hilliard and
Lake City- 0.25 inches) – January 3
Comments