Gabrielle Russon
Florida might make history this week, with Gov. Ron DeSantis saying the northern part of the state could get 6 inches of snow in a worst-case scenario during the upcoming Winter storm.
The state is preparing for snow, sleet and extreme cold temperature hitting Tallahassee and North Florida late Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
The forecast calls for 2 to 4 inches of snow, but DeSantis warned some areas could potentially get up to 6 inches — which would break records.
DeSantis spoke at an emergency preparation press conference Tuesday. To get ready, the Florida Department of Transportation has 250 employees on stand by and 200 pieces of heavy equipment — including 11 snowplows, DeSantis said.
“Believe it or not, in the state of Florida, we’re mobilizing snowplows,” DeSantis said.
Other vehicles will de-ice roads and crews are taking preventable measures to keep movable bridges from freezing.
DeSantis evoked Disney World, which he once infamously feuded with, when describing wind chills that could dip as low as 5 degrees in the western Panhandle.
“We used to think Blizzard Beach was a theme park in Orlando,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “It turns out that we may see some snow on our beaches throughout Northwest Florida and even into Tallahassee and beyond.”
Emergency officials warned Floridians to stay home.
“You also have Florida drivers, which, look, North Florida may not be the level of South Florida in terms of the driving,” DeSantis said. “But when you are in these icy conditions, there’s a lot that can go wrong.”
Don’t forget about protecting pets, pipes and plants, DeSantis urged, as he gave advice to a state that is usually a vacation destination to escape the cold.
“You wear multiple layers of clothing to keep warm: hats, gloves, scarves, thermal socks,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis has already declared a state of emergency, but he also acknowledged the snow will be a memory many Floridians don’t forget.
“I think about my kids. This is something they’ll remember 40 years from now, like, ‘I was there when we got 5 inches of snow in northern Florida,’” DeSantis said.
