Climatologically, it is not supposed to snow in South Florida. The laid-back tropics are a region constantly gaining energy from the sun, and with Florida's temperatures moderated by warm water on three sides, snow is unusual even in the northern reaches of the state.

A rare winter storm across North Florida is causing historic snow in Pensacola and the Panhandle. See striking images of how residents reacted.

The heaviest snowfall in the Sunshine State occurred around Pensacola, where spotters reported measuring amounts of 5 to 12 inches through Tuesday evening. Due to the hazardous weather and a series of crashes, a nearly 70-mile stretch of Interstate 10 was shut down by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Not even the most seasoned Floridians anticipated the magnitude of the epic snowstorm that shattered Florida’s snow records last week.

Temperatures in North Florida last week were downright frigid. From Jan. 19-25, Pensacola's average temperature was 33.8 degrees, which is 17.3 degrees below the average temperature for the same time frame, according to the NWS.

Florida buried in record-breaking snow as ice freezes South leaving at least 13 dead - The dangerous winter storm has resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people across the U.S. and knocked out power for more than 120,

The rare Southern storm prompted this headline from the Anchorage Daily News: "Hey, New Orleans, please send some of your snow to Anchorage."

It begs the question: Has tropical South Florida ever had snow? The answer is yes. Read the full story here:It's snowing in Pensacola! Will it show in South Florida? We look back when it did.

There are reports of snow already in Pensacola as of late Tuesday morning ... sweeping south over the warm Gulf of Mexico and into South Florida where climate history was made.

Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Interstate 10 corridor where snow and ice accumulations could reach 4" over the next 24 hours. Pensacola will likely see the most snowfall in the state while greater amounts of ice are anticipated for cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

There are reports of snow already in Pensacola as of late Tuesday morning ... sweeping south over the warm Gulf of Mexico and into South Florida where climate history was made.

There are reports of snow already in Pensacola as of late Tuesday morning ... It begs the question: Has tropical South Florida ever had snow? The answer is yes. More: Does anyone remember the last cold winter in Palm Beach County? It was about 47 years ...