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.

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.

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

As a cold front moves through South Florida, the coldest temperature in Palm Beach County is typically between 2 and 8 a.m. This shelter opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24.

It was so cold across Florida on Thursday morning that temperatures in at least four cities were colder than in Alaska, but a desperately needed warmup was on the way for millions of Americans from Texas to Florida following a deadly winter storm unmatched in decades.

Parts of the Florida Panhandle were coated in a blanket of snow with temperatures at 25 degrees on Tuesday while Miami had temperatures in the 80s, seemingly two different worlds. From Pensacola down to Miami, there was a difference of 55 degrees, according to the National Weather Service Miami .

As expected, it was cold early Thursday morning across Florida, especially the Panhandle and North Florida, but colder temps extended into South Florida ... year record in Pensacola, which ...

“I’m so glad I’m so much farther south. I moved to Florida to get away from the snow!” commented Jennifer Saxon Halam on his post. According to her Facebook, she lives in Englewood on Florida’s west coast about 88 miles south of Tampa. But just wait: Weather Underground forecasts a low of 38 there next Saturday morning.

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.

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 ... sweeping south over the warm Gulf of Mexico and into South Florida where climate history was made.