Florida winter storm: Interstate 10 closes from Mile Mark 5-70
Pensacola awoke to subfreezing temperatures for the second day in a row as a “significant winter storm” began to roll into the area on Tuesday with the potential to cause extensive damage to property and public infrastructure.
The National Weather Service placed northwest Florida under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Wednesday, reporting that snow accumulations would total between 2 and 4 inches, with up to 6 inches of snow possible in southern portions of the warning area. That forecast was later updated to 4-6 inches. An extreme cold warning is also in effect for the area.
PPD asked to close north end of 3 Mile Bridge
Roads have deteriorated in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and it appears the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr. Bridge will close. The Pensacola Police Department has been asked to close the north of the bridge. Traffic cams show police presence blocking entrance to the bridge from Gulf Breeze.
Interstate 10 now closed to mile marker 70
As of 6:15 p.m. Central, Interstate 10 has been closed from mile marker 5 (Nine Mile Road) in Escambia County to mile marker 70 (State Road 285) in Okaloosa County due to hazardous winter weather conditions. Please seek alternative routes until further notice. Conditions can change rapidly or bring unexpected circumstances. Unless travel is necessary, it is advised to stay off the roads.
Emergency vehicles should be the only vehicles on the road until further notice, said Escambia County leaders. Drivers should suspend any travel tonight and Wednesday.Road conditions will remain hazardous even after snowfall has stopped, with hazardous conditions continuing through at least tomorrow.
Florida officially sets new snow record
By 5:30 p.m., and with snow still falling heavily, the National Weather Service reported 5 inches of snow at the airport in Pensacola, breaking the 3-inch record set in 1895. As it was still snowing, a full total for the day wasn't expected until later in the evening. said meteorologist Jason Beaman.
Scattered reports of 6.5 to 7.5 inches had been received nearby, Beaman said.
Interstate 10 from mile marker 5 to mile marker 56 in Crestview is closed
Hazardous conditions beyond the control of emergency personnel are currently limiting emergency services response times in Santa Rosa County. Officials ask residents to be patient while you wait for emergency services to respond to your location.
Currently, all roads and bridges in Santa Rosa County should be considered impassable until further notice. Residents should stay off the roads if they are not being required to report in to work. For essential personnel who are required to report it, travel with extreme caution and plan for extra travel time.
Per Florida Highway Patrol, I-10 from mile marker 5 to mile marker 56 is CLOSED.
Ice forming on bridges
The Barrancas Avenue Bayou Chico Bridge was closed in both directions at 4:58 p.m. because of ice, according the Florida Department of Transportation.
Traffic accidents pile up, I-10 ramp off Davis Highway closed
Traffic accidents were piling up in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Tuesday afternoon particularly on Interstate 10.
One wreck was reported at about 3:43 p.m. on I-10 eastbound in Santa Rosa Count at a Milton exit at mile marker 26 at Garcon Point Road. The Florida Highway Patrol reported the accident had created a roadblock on the exit ramp.
Shortly before that, at 3:21 p.m., an accident in the westbound lane occurred at mile marker 17 on the Escambia Bay Bridge.
At 3:40 p.m. on I-10 westbound the road shoulder was blocked at mile marker 14 in Escambia County.
Police activity was reported at 3:56 p.m. on the I-10 east ramp at Davis Highway. Police activity was also reported to have forced the closure of the ramp to I-110.
Escambia County roads and bridges becoming impassable
As snow continues to fall in Escambia County, all roads and bridges are quickly becoming impassable. Residents are strongly urged to remain off the roadways until further notice as snow accumulates.
Emergency vehicles should be the only vehicles on the roadways and bridges until further notice. Escambia County Emergency Management urges all residents who have not sought shelter to do so immediately.
According to the National Weather Service in Mobile, snow continues to taper off north of the I-10 corridor with light snow possibly continuing until sunset. Moderate to heavy snow in bands is expected to continue into the evening hours.
'Highly likely all-time record has been broken'
Pensacola has likely broken the state's 130-year-old record for total snowfall.
The National Weather Service doesn't have an official measurement of the snowfall amounts in Pensacola yet, but weather service meteorologist David Eversole said they've gotten unofficial reports of as much at 5.5 inches from Escambia County.
The all-time official record of snowfall in the Pensacola area is 3 inches set in 1895.
"It's highly likely the all-time record has been broken," Eversole said.
The weather service depends on trained volunteer weather observers to make official measurements and no observer has reported in yet from Pensacola.
The weather service said snow could continue to fall this afternoon at as much as 1-inch per hour rate south of Interstate 10.
Strong winds gust of 30 mph could result in blowing and drifting snow, reducing visibility and creating "near blizzard conditions."
The snow should end for the Pensacola area between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Near blizzard conditions expected for next few hours
The heaviest snow bands continue to gradually shift southward towards the coast, according to Okaloosa County's Emergency Management director. This snow combined with strong wind gusts up to 30 mph will continue to result in near blizzard conditions for the next few hours. There will likely be a few more hours of moderate to heavy snow along and south of I-10, including the Mobile metro area.
Moderate to heavy snow across coastal Alabama should taper off to flurries between 4-6 p.m., but continue across the western Florida Panhandle until between 6-8 p.m. This will include the Pensacola metro area over to Destin.
Snowfall rates will continue between 0.5-1 inch per hour, with total snowfall amounts likely exceeding 6 inches along the I-10 corridor from west Mobile east through areas north of Pensacola. There may be isolated amounts in these areas up to 8 inches.
The remainder of the western Florida Panhandle should see between 4 and 6 inches, except less than 4 inches where sleet mixes in. Snow should end areawide later this evening with very cold and dangerous low temperatures anticipated overnight.
Pensacola begins to close roads
Pensacola has started closing roads and sending out snowplows to to clear major roads in the city limits.
- 12th Avenue between Bayou Boulevard and Fairfield Drive
- Davis Highway between Airport Boulevard and Langley Avenue
- 17th Avenue at the railroad trestle
- Chappie James Bridge
Pensacola Police Department is asking citizens to stay off the roadway.
Santa Rosa County records 4 inches of snow already, roads 'impassable'
Effective immediately, "all roads and bridges in Santa Rosa County should be considered IMPASSABLE until further notice," Santa Rosa County officials just posted. Members of the general public are advised that when roads and bridges become impassable, all travel should be suspended or delayed.
Only emergency vehicles should travel on county roads and bridges until further notice. Santa Rosa County Public Works will continue monitoring road conditions and updates will be made as new information is available.
As of 1:45 p.m., Santa Rosa County has received reports of four inches of snow in some areas of the county and snowfall is expected to continue into the evening hours. The National Weather Service in Mobile is forecasting that up to six inches of snow is possible in Santa Rosa County.
Snowplows deployed along Interstate 10
Florida Department of Transportation is deploying snowplows along Interstate 10 to clear snow and ice from the Blackwater River Bridge.
“Drivers should give plows and spreaders room to work as the truck may cross the centerline and shoulders during plowing operations,” The FDOT District 3 office said in a post on X.
FDOT is not reporting any road closures along major highways, and traffic cameras show traffic moving slow across all bridges despite limited visibility.
FHP car slid into median
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper illustrated the hard way why it's important to stay off the roads.
The FHP car slid into the median just after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday while traveling westbound on Interstate-10 near Exit 28. After trying to get back onto the road for several minutes, another FHP car arrived, along with a semi-truck, which was able to pull the car back onto the roadway.
Most drivers appear to be following law enforcement's request to stay off the roads, but there is still some slow traffic on the roads.
Last chance for winter weather supplies
Escambia County residents weren't shy about shopping in the snow on Tuesday, as they quickly flooded stores like Publix and Target to make last-minute preparations for the cold weather.
From general supplies to hot foods, customers are grabbing whatever they believe is necessary before the worst of the storm.
"I'm just (feeling) cold, but everything is under control. (I'm) stocked up on everything and it seems like everything is going smoothly today," said shopper Aaron Thomsen, who visited Publix on Tuesday to buy some soup and chili.
Thomsen spent the past few days preparing for the cold after hearing and he was one of many Pensacola residents scrambling to stores right before snow started to fall.
For some residents, the joy of seeing snow seemed like a miracle and it momentarily outweighed their worries about safety in the cold.
Alicia Kiser, another Publix shopper on Tuesday, didn't have any worries.
Kiser's family lived in Germany before moving to Pensacola, so they're more than familiar with the conditions snow brings alongside.
Rather than worry, Kiser was excited to take her kids to play in the snow once the precipitation slowed down. "I'm at Publix today getting some ingredients for chili," Kiser told the News Journal. "(I'm) just excited to make something like chili for a day like today."
Some stores in the Pensacola area have remained open, for now, to give customers a chance to grab what they need before bunkering down. That could change fairly soon however, as stores are having to determine whether it's worth it to remain open.
DeSantis warns of localized accumulation up to 6 inches in Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference midday and issued a warning about the expected weather-related impacts at a meeting with reporters at the state Emergency Operations Center.
“We are expecting snow in many parts of North Florida. The forecast now is 2 to 4 inches," DeSantis said "It's possible you could have localized accumulation of up to 6 inches.”
A big concern was icy roads from a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain as temperatures are expected to remain at freezing levels for a couple of days.
The state has crews on standby to help electric co-ops that could have more difficulty responding to power outages, the News Service of Florida reported. Rescue teams were being deployed west of the Apalachicola River to assist people stranded by the storm and more than 250 Florida Department of Transportation employees are ready to go where needed with de-icing chemicals and 11 snowplows.
"Our infrastructure is designed differently than states that are used to this,” DeSantis said. “If this were South Dakota, they would just shrug their shoulders. We are designed a little bit differently.”
State Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned reporters that ice of up to a half-inch thick will affect roads and could result in power outages in the Panhandle and North Florida’s Big Bend region.
“If you do not need to be on the road, do not be on the road,” Guthrie said. “If you have to be on the road, make sure you're utilizing the low speeds. Make sure that you know how to drive in these conditions. If you don't, it might be better just to walk.”
'Stay home'
Escambia County is urging people to stay off the roads during the winter storm.
Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said most bridges have been sprayed with de-icing salt ahead of the storm but that was no guarantee the bridges would remain open.
“Stay home,” Tompkins said.
Tompkins said they are not expecting many power outages from the storm as long as the precipitation remains snow.
“I've been in contact with Florida Power and Light yesterday and today, and they are very actively monitoring and ready to assist in any way,” Tompkins said.
Tompkins said he’s not aware of any snowplows the county but said the Florida Department of Transportation has two snowplows in the area.
Tompkins said he the snow will stick around through Wednesday and even possibly into Thursday.
“We're hoping that we have enough of a warm up to where we can move on Thursday, but it's too early to tell,” Tompkins said. “If it doesn't fall out Wednesday, we could certainly have some issues with shaded areas on roads and things of that nature.”
'Blizzard conditions' expected on I-10 from Northwest Florida to Texas
At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday meteorologists for Accuweather were calling for dangerous blizzard conditions along the I-10 corridor between Texas and Northwest Florida that would make travel difficult and, in some cases, inpassable. Experts said Northwest Florida residents could anticipate "ice storm impacts" and possibly "record snowfall accumulations."
“This is a rare, extremely disruptive and dangerous southern winter storm. Snow and ice are accumulating in places that have not seen wintry weather in many years. Some of these towns have little to no equipment and limited supplies to deal with snow or ice on the roads,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “The extreme cold after the storm will slow down the cleanup process.”
Snow and ice could stay on the ground for days during subfreezing temperatures, especially in places with limited equipment and resources used to tackle winter weather, according to the AccuWeather report, with officials warning that icy patches and slick spots may develop in places after the storm where temperatures rise above freezing during the day, then drop below freezing after dark.
Meteorologists said the region could also see widespread power outages.
"It's not too often a storm with snow passes Atlanta by to the south, but that is how this southern U.S. storm is shaping up," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said.
Grocery stores closing
Grocery stores in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are beginning to make preparations Tuesday to close for severe weather. Some are closing their doors as early as noon Tuesday. All hours are subject to change pending weather conditions.
Pensacola preparing for historic amount of snow fall
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said the city is prepared for a potentially historic amount of snow fall.
“What I can tell our citizens in the city confidently is that we are ready to go,” Reeves said. “We were able to procure five snow plows from from the Atlanta area that did arrive here and we have placed strategically across the city. And with that came five operators as well. We have hundreds of salt bags, several pallets that also came with them.”
Reeves said when the time is right, the snow plows and other equipment will work to clear roads in the city limits with a focus on clearing a path to cricitical places like hospitals.
However, Reeve said people should still stay off the roads as they will still be dangerous.
“Our streets aren't designed for this type of thing,” Reeves said. “Our infrastructure is not designed for this type of thing. So I've all driven in snow, we've all driven, at some point possibly. That doesn't mean that it's safe to go do now.”
The snow plows and other equipment are from a private contractor out of Atlanta and the city has hired them through Roads Inc. The state of emergency issued by the city allows for the city to procure things like salt and the plows quickly.
Reeves said the city will update residents on road closures through its website.
Cold shelters seeing record numbers
Waterfront Mission is seeing record numbers of people sheltering from the winter storm. Max capacity is 205 people and tonight the Mission is expecting around 220 people. Last night, 193 people took shelter at the Mission, 42 women and 151 men.
Staff say every bit of floor space is taken with emergency cots and beds and they are need in donations like food, toilet paper, and hot chocolate to take care of everyone.
National Weather Service updates with 4-6 inches of snow for Pensacola area
The latest forecast for the Pensacola area has increased the amount of snow that can be expected today. Pensacola, Gulf Shores, Crestview and Mobile are now forecast for 4-6 inches of snow.
Cold weather shelter days expanded
The cold weather shelter for the homeless and/or heatless at Ferris Hill Baptist Church, 6848 Chaffin St. in Milton, will be open Thursday and Friday. Those who would like to stay at the shelter Thursday and/or Friday nights must arrive between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Santa Rosa Emergency Management officials said in a release.
The nights are in addition to the cold weather shelter being open 24 hours until 10 a.m., Thursday.
No one will be admitted after 8:30 p.m. each night unless brought in by law enforcement. Only service animals (with verification of rabies vaccination) are permitted to stay with guests.
Santa Rosa County's cold weather shelter is operated by Ferris Hill Baptist Church, utilizing volunteer resources and donations. It opens each night weather is forecasted to drop below 40 degrees, typically November through March. The shelter is for people who are homeless or cannot maintain heat in their homes, can care for themselves, and are not at risk to themselves or others. No one will be admitted to the shelter who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, unable to walk unaided or disoriented. Learn more about Ferris Hill Baptist Church online at http://ferrishill.org/.
Pensacola International Airport closes
All commercial operations are closed Tuesday due to the winter storm. Travelers are asked to check with airlines directly to determine flight schedules and rebooking. Runway will remain open for other operations until it becomes unsafe and conditions dictate runway closure.
Pensacola Energy crews pulled from road
Pensacola Energy is reporting snow in north end of County and crews are being pulled from roads for safety but remain on standby for emergencies.
Snow begins to accumulate
Snow has already begun to accumulate on roads in the Century area, while light snowflakes have begun to fall throughout the north end of the county.
Escambia County crews have been spraying salt on overpasses, but his main message is people should stay off the roads, said Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins. Tompkins said they expect roads to be impacted today and Wednesday and possibly into Thursday morning because of the freezing temperatures.
Pensacola brings in snow plows
Pensacola has four snow plows staged strategically around the city limits ahead of Tuesday snow storm.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves told the News Journal the city was able to bring in the plows and their operators from Atlanta.
The snow plows will work to clear the roads inside the city limits of Pensacola, according to Reeves.
Weather radar shows snow is already falling in the north end of Escambia County and the line of snow will move south over the next few hours.
The heaviest accumulation is expected to occur from noon to 3 p.m., according to Escambia County emergency management.
When will snow start to fall?
Escambia County officials warn that snow could start as early as 9 a.m., but the heaviest accumulation is expected from noon to 3 p.m.
Temperatures will drop back into the teens and low 20s tonight, remaining in the 30s Wednesday afternoon. Sunshine on Wednesday could help melt some of the snow/ice on roads and bridges, but would refreeze that night. It is very likely that snow/ice on roads and bridges will still be a concern Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Santa Rosa begins shutting down some bridges, streets
The city of Milton, in conjunction with Santa Rosa County and the state of Florida, has announced the closure of bridges at Broad Street and Conecuh Street as part of its preparation for expected winter storm conditions. Traffic will be diverted to Stewart Street which, according to a city release, offers larger roads and signalized intersections.
The city and county were sanding the bridges Monday in preparation for the incoming storm and the state will be clearing and salting area roadways to facility safer travel, a news release said.
The city is also coordinating with the state to prepare for storm conditions on US Highway 90 at the Blackwater River and Pond Creek as well as Stewart Street, Dogwood Street, and Park Avenue.
House fire in Pensacola starts day early for firefighters
A house fire on Lloyd Street near downtown Pensacola serves as a reminder of the danger of alternative heat sources during what meteorologists are calling the "storm of the century."
Firefighters battled the blaze at the home on the corner of Lloyd and Tarragona streets early Tuesday morning when temperatures were about 30 degrees. The home appears to be a total loss.
The National Weather Service placed northwest Florida under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Wednesday, reporting that snow accumulations would total between 2 and 4 inches, with up to 6 inches of snow possible in southern portions of the warning area. An extreme cold warning is also in effect for the area.