Rare snow falling in Florida as winter storm targets the South with more to come for Georgia, Carolinas

Snow potential building in Southeast this weekend

Georgia could see snow accumulation Saturday night into Sunday as a system moves through the Southeast. FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel is on the ground in Tifton, Georgia, looking ahead at what's to come. 

While the corridor for measurable snow is narrowing across parts of the Deep South and southeastern U.S. this weekend, rare snow is falling across portions of the Southeast, with flakes falling in the Carolinas and dipping as far south as Florida.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, temperatures are cool enough to allow for a changeover from rain to snow, which began in the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning.

In anticipation of snow, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, issued a Winter Storm Warning in effect beginning early Sunday morning for portions of central and west central Georgia.

The NWS warned of slippery road conditions as the affected area expects to see heavy snow, with accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. 

FILE: Drivers were greeted by a "Welcome to the Free State of Florida" sign during the historic winter storm that shattered snow records in the Sunshine State on Monday, Jan. 21, 2025.

(@MyFDOT/X / FOX Weather)

Despite early predictions from forecast models that potentially plowable snow could fall across the Southeast this weekend, a storm is expected to take hold that will likely pull the necessary moisture needed to produce such an event out of the region before an arctic blast of freezing air arrives, though not all hope is lost for snow-lovers in the South. 

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WINTER STORM WARNING EXPLAINED: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND WHEN IS IT ISSUED?

For most areas in the Southeast, moisture and the Arctic air stay far enough apart that most areas see cold, raw rain rather than a winter wonderland. 

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While most of the region will miss out, a brief window for snow will exist across the Southeast Sunday as precipitation breaks out ahead of a dip in the jet stream pivoting towards the East Coast. The precipitation will fall just as cold air arrives from the west. 

ARCTIC REVENGE: BITTER FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO INVADE US AS FAR SOUTH AS FLORIDA, PLUNGING IGUANAS FROM TREES

FILE: A man removes snow from his windshield after snowfall on January 22, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida.

(Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / Getty Images)

While there is still uncertainty surrounding the position and intensity of the snow, there is a low chance that snow breaks out far enough north to significantly impact Atlanta and Charlotte.

Additionally, the small-scale lift within the larger storm could allow for the development of batches of heavy snow with certain areas seeing up to 3 inches of accumulation. Residents from Georgia into the Carolinas are likely to see a quick dusting through Sunday morning.

Winter Weather Alerts are in place across Georgia and in Shorterville, Alabama.

Georgia's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) is urging residents to use extreme caution while driving and to stay off the roads if possible.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says, "As forecasts evolve, know that state response teams are ready for whatever may come."

Despite it looking increasingly difficult to find any accumulating snow in Florida, crews are preparing to assist communities.

THIS ROCK IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK WILL FALL, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

The Florida Department of Transportation says, "We are actively making preparations and have deployed crews to keep our communities safe and moving through winter weather conditions."

MAKING SNOW HISTORY? 

If snow does officially accumulate (more than a tenth of an inch) in Tallahassee and Albany, Georgia, it will mark the first time on record these locations have seen two consecutive winters with snow. 

Just last year, the Sunshine State was slammed by a historic winter storm that shattered 130-year records and dumped snow along the northern Gulf Coast.

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The historic January 2025 snowstorm dumped 8.9 inches of measured snow in Pensacola across two days, obliterating the prior two-day record of 3 inches of snow set during the February snowstorm of 1895. 

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 21: A person stands in the snow on Canal Street on January 21, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A winter storm brought rare snowfall to the Southern states including Florida, Texas and New Orleans, shutting down schools and businesses and drawing out locals, many of whom had never seen snow before. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

The rare winter weather event triggered alerts along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, and dumped snow on major cities, including New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, that are rarely ever adorned in snow.