Hurricanes, thunderstorms, scorching temperatures are all weather events Floridians are used to experiencing.
But snow is a term rarely spoken by Florida weather forecasters. When it comes up, Floridians get all aflutter.
Tallahassee has had a white dusting a time or two, with the largest amount of snowfall occurring on Feb. 12-13 in 1958.
“Democrat editors received telephone calls as late as midnight from people who wanted pictures of their snow men,” one editor wrote. “The Democrat switchboard was swamped this morning by people calling in to report unusual scenes.”
With a historical 2.8 inches, locals were able to have snowball fights and sled down the many hills that make up Florida’s capital city.
The Tallahassee Democrat’s headline read “Young And Old Frolic In 3-inch Snow,” along with a punny subheadline, “SnoWonder Kids Aren’t In School.”
“The reaction of school children to the snow varied but there was a general desire to get outside and play, the school officials said,” wrote John Ray on the front page of the Democrat. “Literally bushels of snowballs were made and thrown before the opening bells rang, and there was sliding on every slope and bank around each school yard.”