PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A small part of Florida is the snow state for the second year in a row.
Snow briefly blanketed lawns and rooftops in parts of the western Florida Panhandle Sunday morning, as enough cold air pushed in behind a cold front to turn the last showers into icicles in the Sunshine State.
Elsewhere, winter weather has promised to interfere with playoff games in places more familiar to it – Boston and Chicago, although the visiting teams come from warmer climates. In the upper Midwest, residents braced for blizzard conditions.
Southern snow was not a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Less than a year ago, on January 21, 2025, some of the same areas of Florida that briefly saw frosty prairies received up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow in what was the heaviest snowfall in many places since the late 19th century.
Pictures of snow flooded social media. There were a few flakes on the beach and snow hiding in the palm fronds. It was too warm to stay on the roads, but a dusting of snow remained on the grass for a while before most of it melted.
The rare snow in the South wasn’t just in Florida. Southeast Alabama and southern Georgia also reported snowfall in some areas as they also celebrated their second winter wonderland in less than a year.
Snow covered the ground in Columbus and Macon, Georgia, and officials warned that enough could fall to make travel risky in some places.
Heavy snowfall is expected to hit New England. Snow of between 7 and 13 centimeters was expected in the afternoon and evening in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where the New England Patriots were hosting the Houston Texans.
Rare snow is seen in Holt, Florida, on Sunday, January 18, 2026. (Daniel Braher via AP)
National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Pederson said Boston-area residents can expect “wet and heavy” snow showers, although heavy snowfall was not expected until 7 p.m., long after the game’s 3 p.m. kickoff.
“There is a low pressure system passing offshore that is close enough to bring us some snow, but far enough away to not take a big hit,” Pederson said.
Snow is also expected – but much less – in Chicago. There, frigid temperatures will play a role when the Bears host the Rams from sunny Los Angeles. Snow accumulation was expected to be minimal, but temperatures in the teens and near-zero wind chills were the main concerns.
A blizzard warning was in effect until 9 p.m. local time for parts of northwest and west-central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota. Snow thickness was expected to be limited to 2 inches (5 centimeters) but meteorologists said wind gusts of up to 55 mph (88 kph) could create bleak conditions, making travel dangerous and potentially life-threatening.