TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — One year ago, all the pieces needed for a winter storm came together to blanket the Big Bend and South Georgia in snow and ice.
- Warm moist air overran an arctic air mass, which was locked into place by high pressure.
- Snowfall reached around 2" followed by ice, creating dangerous driving conditions.
- Watch the video below to get a full breakdown of what went into the historic snow event.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
One year ago today, the Big Bend and South Georgia were hit with historic winter weather. In order for an event like this to happen, which is very rare, all of the pieces have to fit neatly and perfectly together. So how did this happen?
Everything started January 18th and 19th when a cold front brought arctic air into the Big Bend and South Georgia. In fact, it got so cold that the high for Monday, January 20th, was only 47 degrees, and that was just to set the stage. The real players were to come on January 21st.
First, a surface high in the plains locked that arctic air in place. Then shortwave low over the Gulf, moved across the coastline, dragging warmer and wetter air up over the colder, drier air, resulting in snow and ice for many across the Big Bend and South Georgia.
1.9 inches fell in Tallahassee over two days. This is only second to the record 2.8 inches in February of 1958. Snow and/or sleet was reported as far east as the I-75 corridor, all the way down to Taylor County.
Major highways were closed, including a 70-mile stretch of Interstate-10 in Florida on the night of the snowfall. Then there was an even more significant closure of nearly 200 miles all the way to Alabama, as melting snow and ice refroze overnight.
Freezing rain stuck to power lines and trees, and many power outages were caused by falling tree limbs and branches. The counties that were affected the most were Wakulla and Franklin Counties along the Apalachee Bay.
Now we are on track to be below average for precipitation, and despite the recent cold, above average for temperatures for the rest of the winter. So an event like this is highly unlikely. From the ABC 27 weather center, I'm Meteorologist Ryan Gold.
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