Temperatures plunged below freezing across parts of northern Florida on Wednesday, with some areas even dipping into the teens, making parts of the Sunshine State colder than Anchorage, Alaska.
Why It Matters
Millions of people are facing frigid temperatures through this week. Subzero wind chills hit the U.S. over the weekend and early this week, although most extreme cold warnings have expired as of Wednesday morning.
Winter storms also hit the Southeast U.S, stretching from Texas up through part of the Eastern Seaboard. One National Weather Service (NWS) office in Louisiana issued its first ever blizzard warning, and a curfew was established in parts of Louisiana to keep people indoors through the worst of the storm.
So much snow fell in Florida that it was visible from space.
What To Know
Extreme cold warnings, cold weather advisories and freeze warnings remained in place across the Florida panhandle on Wednesday morning. Extreme cold warnings are issued when temperatures dip to life-threatening levels, although the temperatures that spark the warning vary depending on the region.
In Florida, extreme cold warnings were in place across the panhandle, including in Tallahassee. When coupled with wind chill, some areas experienced temperatures that felt as low as 4 degrees Fahrenheit, even though the actual temperature was higher.
Nighttime temperatures in Florida on Wednesday will range, but many cities are expecting below-freezing levels. For example, according to The Weather Channel, the night temperature in Tallahassee will be 18 degrees. Pensacola's night temperature will be 19 degrees, Jacksonville's will be 29 degrees, Panama City's will be 19 degrees and Gainesville will be 32 degrees.
Meanwhile, in Anchorage, Alaska, the daytime temperature is 36 degrees, and the nighttime temperature is expected to be 32 degrees.
There were no extreme cold warnings in place in Alaska.
What People Are Saying
NWS meteorologist Kristian Oliver told Newsweek: "For January, the average minimum temperature [in Tallahassee] is around 40 degrees, the average max temperature is around 64."
Despite being a far cry from average, Oliver said Tallahassee's coldest January temperature on record occurred in 1985, when the temperature reached 6 degrees.
NWS Tallahassee in an extreme cold warning: "Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures."
NWS Tallahassee in a post on X: "A historic morning snapshot of the Tri-State area following the unforgettable winter storm that blanketed much of the Gulf Coast states. The snow on the ground is a site to behold from space. The red dot roughly represents #Tallahassee."
What Happens Next
The extreme cold warning in Florida will expire Thursday morning. According to a six- to 10-day temperature outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center, a warming trend will take place in the Sunshine State. Temperatures are expected to be above normal.
During the same time period, temperatures will likely be below normal for the western half of Alaska, including in Anchorage.
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