String of cold fronts will end the Florida Panhandle's warm January

Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal

Tue, January 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM UTC

3 min read

More frigid air is leaking south as a plunging jet stream promises a second blast of winter chill for Florida with teases of a third on its heels.

National Weather Service meteorologists are predicting the coldest day of the week in the Panhandle will be Thursday, Jan. 15 with daytime peak temperatures reaching into the upper 40s in the Tallahassee are and Friday morning lows crashing to the mid-20s to low 30s.

Even along the Gulf-warmed coastal underbelly of the state, temperatures could dip to the low 30s with the official forecast for Panama City Beach falling to 31 degrees early Friday, Jan. 16.

These temperatures will rival the coldest the Florida Panhandle has seen this winter, and may exceed them in some cases.

The Climate Prediction Center is calling for below normal temperatures over the next six to 10 days in Tallahassee and across the Southeast with the arrival of three different cold fronts.

In December, Pensacola’s coldest night occurred on Dec. 15, according to the National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama.

The temperature reached 28 degrees, which was 15.6 degrees lower than the daily average. The Pensacola area overall had a fairly regular December, with the average temperature of 55.3 degrees sitting just 0.2 degrees lower than the monthly average.

Pensacola’s January has, so far, been a completely different story. Reaching the midway point, Pensacola’s overall temperature has been 8.5 degrees warmer than what is typical.

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 12, half of those days had double-digit temperature departures. The hottest day recorded was Jan. 10, which had a maximum temperature of 80 degrees and an 18.1 degree departure from the norm.

Will Pensacola see snow again this year?

The chance of seeing the type of snowfall that blanketed the Pensacola area in January 2025 is exceedingly rare. Even calling it that seems generous. Looking back on the previous record’s 3 inches of snow, it sounds hard to believe, but not entirely outside of the realm of possibility.

The 8.9 inches of snowfall seen last, which is where Pensacola’s record snowfall now sits, is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

“It is rare to have both enough cold air and enough moisture and lift to cause snow in Florida; there’s pretty much only one way it can happen, consisting of no fewer than seven atmospheric ingredients moving in precise harmony to bring about the ultimate meteorological bank shot,” wrote WeatherTiger meteorologist Ryan Truchelut.

He estimated that the historical odds of accumulating snow in Florida are around 5-10% on a good day. And those seven atmospheric ingredients haven’t reared their head in the latest NWS forecast.

How cold will Pensacola get during cold front?

Here's a snapshot of how cold the Pensacola area will get during the back-to-back cold fronts, according to the National Weather Service.

How cold will Pace, Milton get during cold front?

Here's a snapshot of how cold Pace and Milton will get during the back-to-back cold fronts, according to the National Weather Service.

How cold will Gulf Breeze, Navarre get during cold front?

Here's a snapshot of how cold Gulf Breeze and Navarre will get during the back-to-back cold fronts, according to the National Weather Service.

How cold will Fort Walton, Destin get during cold front?

Here's a snapshot of how cold Destin and Fort Walton will get during the back-to-back cold fronts, according to the National Weather Service.

How cold will Panama City get during cold front?

Here's a snapshot of how cold Panama City will get during the back-to-back cold fronts, according to the National Weather Service.

Pensacola weather radar

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Back-to-back cold fronts in store for Florida Panhandle

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