Rare Snowfall Predicted at Disney World: First in Nearly 50 Years, Forecasters Reveal

Rare Snowfall Predicted at Disney World

Florida is bracing for an unusual cold snap, with Arctic air bringing frigid temperatures to the Sunshine State. While snowfall remains unlikely, some forecasters say there's a slim chance that parts of Florida could see snowflakes under the right conditions during the second week of January.

The first cold front is set to arrive on Friday, Jan. 3, bringing a brief cooling trend into Saturday, Jan. 4, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). A second, stronger front will move in mid-next week, potentially delivering some of the coldest temperatures of the season. Northern Florida could see lows in the teens, while central areas might dip into the 20s, extending the cold through Jan. 11 and 12.

Though the forecast currently calls for mostly dry conditions across South Florida, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Michael Doll notes that an intense enough blast of cold air could bring a fleeting chance of snow to Florida. A low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico may supply enough moisture for snowflakes to form late in the cold snap, meteorologists say, though they caution that predictions could still change in the coming days.

If snow does fall in Central Florida, it would be the first time since 1977 that the Orlando area has seen snowfall, when less than an inch was recorded. In South Florida, measurable snow hasn’t occurred since 1977, the only time it was ever documented there. More recently, snow fell in the Florida Panhandle in January 2019, showing that the phenomenon isn’t entirely unheard of in northern parts of the state.

For Walt Disney World, the cold temperatures could pose challenges. According to fan site Inside the Magic, extreme weather, including snow, could potentially disrupt park operations. While snow remains uncertain, the predicted low temperatures are likely to be the coldest South Florida has seen so far this winter, the NWS confirms.

The last measurable snow in Florida occurred in January 2014. While a repeat of that event seems unlikely for most of the state, forecasters are closely monitoring conditions for any developments. For now, Floridians should prepare for a significant chill as Arctic air sweeps across the region.