news as issues

snowing in florida


Well...... I wouldn't call it a big, fluffy, white snowstorm.... But, all of the forecasts say that early tomorrow morning we might see snow flurries!!!
You see, like the rest of the country, we have been in a major cold snap....and by cold (for us in FL) I mean our average temperatures have been in the low 50's (yes, that is freaking cold for me!!).
Well.....there is another big cold front coming in overnight, along with some "moisture" (in Florida, we call that rain); and the combination of those is bringing a CHANCE of snow flurries. Realistically, it probably won't happen... but it sure is fun thinking that we might wake up to see some white stuff falling from the sky!! And for the kids, who are overly excited, I really hope it does!!

West Volusians awoke this morning around 7 a.m. to an odd sound.

It was like rain, but it didn't appear to be raining.

Then, wait, what's that on the car in the driveway? It's white. Is it ... SNOW?

The odd sound was miniature ice cubes falling from the sky onto dry leaves. And the white stuff on the car wasn't really snow, but more like sleet or freezing rain.

But, for Floridians enchanted by the novelty of 2010's weather debut, what's the real difference?

"It's snowing!" one caller to The Beacon enthusiastically reported.

Officially, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that an "upper level disturbance" moving across Florida was causing areas of light rain mixed with sleet and snow from the Tampa Bay area to Orlando northward.

According to the NWS, this is Central Florida's first snow or sleet event since 1996.

Later today, forecasters said the wet stuff — whatever it is — will move on and clearing skies will usher in some of the coldest temperatures we have seen so far this winter.

Accuweather.com pegged the chances of snow in our area at 50 percent before noon, with the odds for any kind of precipitation lessening throughout the day.

Temperatures in West Volusia were forecast to reach just above 40 degrees by about 5 p.m., before plunging into the 30s and then into the 20s overnight.

Since Jan. 3, NWS said, temperatures across the state have been running about 30 degrees below normal. Wind-chill temperatures could fall into the single digits in some parts of the state Saturday night and Sunday, forecasters said.

Weather Underground predicted a "few flakes of snow" in Central Florida for Saturday, but mostly light rain and sleet, calling for extra caution on the roads.

"Use extra care ... slow down and increase your following distance when driving on area roads through mid-morning," the Weather Underground forecasters advised.

The Beacon invites you to send photos of weather conditions in your area to info@beacononlinenews.com.