Florida’s bracing for a real cold snap this weekend, and, believe it or not, there’s a small shot at snow flurries along the Gulf Coast.
As of Thursday, January 29, 2026, meteorologists are watching a setup that doesn’t come around often. Arctic air is pouring south and meeting the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, prime ingredients for “Gulf-effect” snow, which works a lot like lake-effect snow up north.
Tampa Bay, the Nature Coast, areas up toward the Big Bend and even Southwest Florida could see flakes, especially late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Some weather models even hint at a chance for Northeast Florida. Still, nobody’s expecting a winter wonderland. If snow falls, it’ll be a brief show—think flurries or a dusting on the grass or your car, nothing more. Accumulation? Not likely.
What you will notice is the cold. Temperatures will drop into the low-to-mid 30s, with winds gusting 45 to 50 mph along the coast. That’s enough to make theme parks shut their water attractions from Saturday through Monday.
Meteorologists predict some parts of Florida might get up to a 20% shot at winter weather. Could there be flurries late Saturday? There’s a chance. Most places are closer to a 5-10% chance, but in Florida, even a whisper of snow is headline news.
It’s already been a cold week in Florida. Lows have dipped into the upper 20s and low 30s, and after a brief break, it gets colder Sunday and Monday. In Orlando, Sunday morning could see lows between 26 and 29 degrees, the coldest in 16 years. Ocala and The Villages will feel even worse, with wind chills in the teens.
What causes Gulf-effect snow? When cold, dry Arctic air sweeps over the warm Gulf waters, it picks up heat and moisture. That air rises and forms clouds, which sometimes squeeze out flurries as they reach land. It’s the same process as lake-effect snow, just with a southern twist.
If you’re along the Gulf Coast (especially around Tampa), you’ve got the best odds of seeing something unusual this weekend: a few snowflakes drifting through the Florida air.
