As a winter storm is set to bring ice and snow to North Florida Tuesday and Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis is recommending people stay inside until the storm passes.
DeSantis already issued a state of emergency declaration. During a press conference Tuesday, he pointed at the unusual situation of winter weather in Florida.
“We used to think Blizzard Beach was a theme park in Orlando. It turns out that we may see some snow on our beaches throughout northwest Florida and even into Tallahassee and beyond,” he said.
The region is forecasted to get 2 to 4 inches of snow, as well as freezing rain, ice and sleet. DeSantis said in some areas, it may break records.
“It's possible you could have localized accumulation of up to six inches. I've asked my guys to go back and look at the historical record, and we've never had six inches accumulate in Florida based on the information that we had,” he said
He’s recommending that people stay off the roads until the weather warms Wednesday afternoon so ice on local roads can melt.
“As somebody that was born and raised in the state that had never seen snow in this state, when you when you're in that environment and you're driving, if you're used to driving in Florida, it is different. When you do the brakes, there's all these things you can skid, you can slide. So, just be very, very careful. And if you don't need to be out, just stay in,” he said.
The Florida Legislature and several school districts and universities have shuttered their doors in preparation for the storm.
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