TAMPA, Fla. – Temperatures are dipping into the 30s this week, and while parts of Florida are expected to get snow, FOX 13 meteorologists say the Bay Area won’t see any snow or ice. However, that wasn’t the case in 1977.
Those who lived in Tampa on Jan. 19, 1977, say they will never forget the day they woke up to a winter wonderland.
Snow in Tampa
What they’re saying:
Forty-eight years ago, Jeannette Tamborello recalled hearing FOX 13 Meteorologist Roy Leep say that there was the possibility of snow in the forecast.
She said the snowy mention seemed to be more of a comment than part of his regular forecast, but Tamborello just knew it was going to snow.
She set her alarm for 1 a.m. and when she woke up there was no snow. She set it every hour afterward and kept looking out the window full of hope. Around 5 a.m., she saw what she had been waiting for – snow!
Tamborello said she woke up her husband and her daughter, who was 6 years old at the time. She dressed her daughter in her coat, gloves, and socks over her nightgown and the three of them walked outside into a winter wonderland.
Tamborello recalled she and her husband being as excited as their daughter.
The trio built a little snowman, took photos, and played outside until it was time to get ready for work and school.
Jeannette Tamborello and her daughter Jodi built a snowman on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Jeannette Tamborello.
Like Tamborello, Thomas Kaspar will never forget the day it snowed in Tampa.
He said the look of the flakes swirling around before the sun came up is unforgettable, especially in typically hot Carrollwood.
He estimated that about 5–6 inches of snow was on the ground that day, and it lasted until the afternoon.
Tampa residents enjoy a snowball fight on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Thomas Kaspar.
Why did it snow in Tampa?
The backstory:
The snow on Jan. 19, 1977, was seen as far south as Homestead and even fell on Miami Beach, according to the National Weather Service.
According to NWS, the snowfall was at the tail end of a strong Arctic cold front that moved rapidly down the state from late January 18 to early January 19.
NWS states that Tampa got .20 inches of snow while Plant City recorded two inches.
‘Magical’ Day
The .20 inches of snow that fell was more than enough to make a lifetime impression on Mario Nuñez.
Nuñez had just turned 18 years old and had never seen snow before.
In a previous interview with FOX 13, Nuñez said he remembers his mother waking him up around 6 a.m. and telling him it was snowing outside.
Nuñez explained that he was almost in a trance because he was so excited. The first thing he wanted to do was tell his grandmother who lived a few blocks away.
Mario Nunez holds two snowballs as snow blankets the ground in Tampa on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Mario Nuñez.
Dressed in flannel pajamas, Nuñez says he threw on a pair of Converse shoes and ran two-and-a-half blocks down the street in the dark to his grandmother’s house.
She had lived in New York for several years, so snow wasn’t anything unusual for her, but it was simply ‘magical’ to him.
He said she was alarmed at first because it was unusual for him to be banging on her door before dawn, but she felt more at ease as he shouted, “Abuela! It’s snowing!”
Teens play in the Tampa snow on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Thomas Kaspar.
In the midst of all the excitement, Nuñez said it took him a moment to realize he was outside in his pajamas.
He excitedly ran back home, changed clothes, and called his buddies.
Nuñez shared that watching the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears, and the Minnesota Vikings play football in the snow was the epitome of the NFL at the time. That’s why he and his friends decided to put on their football gear and play ball in the snow. He said they couldn’t go sledding because there aren’t any hills in Tampa, and they didn’t have a sled.
Teens hold snowballs on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Thomas Kaspar.
Nuñez, along with many Tampa residents, also recall a lot of traffic crashes happening on that day.
He said he lived on Cass Street, and while he and his buddies were playing football in a field near I-275, they heard tires screech followed by the sound of a car crashing into the guardrail constantly throughout the day because there was ice on the overpass, and nobody knew how to drive on ice.
“We’re just waiting for the next snowfall,” he said in a past interview with FOX 13.
Teens have snowball fight on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Thomas Kaspar.
Will it snow in Tampa this year?
Big picture view:
FOX 13 meteorologists say no snow or ice is expected anywhere in the Tampa Bay area as of Tuesday.
A stretch of north Florida, especially from around Tallahassee west through the Panhandle, will get accumulating snow, with a few inches of snowfall possible along the I-10 corridor starting later Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday.
The Florida HIghway Patrol posted a phot of one of its vehicles next to the state line in Pensacola with snow on the ground on Tuesday.
A mix of wintry precipitation could extend east to Jacksonville and as far south as Gainesville, although not all areas will see accumulating snow.
Accumulating snow is expected across a wide stretch of north Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday. A winter storm warning is in effect.
The wintry mix could make for dangerous conditions on the roads north of the Bay Area.
Governor Ron DeSantis also declared a State of Emergency ahead of the storm, which will primarily impact the northern part of the state.
“Snow is one thing. Ice is a problem,” FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg said, noting that a quarter-inch to a half-inch of ice accumulation in areas like Tallahassee and Jacksonville would be “significant.”
Tampa weather forecast
Local perspective:
While the snow and ice will stay north of the Bay Area, Osterberg says cold rain will “funnel in from time to time” throughout Tuesday, with the afternoon high staying in the 50s.
Rainfall should continue through Wednesday morning as lows drop to the 40s again, with 30s possible in our northern zones.
One more round of showers will move through on Thursday, according to Osterberg, before we clear out in time for the weekend.
What’s next:
On Saturday, temperatures could reach the low 60s in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Then on Sunday, the 70s will make a comeback with the warming trend continuing into next week.
Hope for future snow days
Though the possibility of seeing snow this year may be low, the memory of the 1977 snowfall keeps hope alive for many Tampa residents.
For Tampa natives, like Nunez and D.C. Goutoufas, Jan. 19, 1977, was the first time they had seen snow.
Goutoufas stated in a previous interview with FOX 13 that even though he doesn’t have any photos from that snowy day, the memory is etched in his mind forever.
Tampa residents pose with a snowman on Jan. 19, 1977. Credit: Carolyn Dean.
His family has been in Tampa since 1887, and he says none of his ancestors had seen snow in the area before 1977.
Goutoufas recalled his parents coming to the breakfast table and shouting that it was snowing outside.
“My sister, brother, and I ran outside to see it. It was amazing!” Goutoufas exclaimed more than four decades later.
A car is covered in snow in Tampa on Jan. 19, 1977. Image is courtesy of Thomas Kaspar.
He remembers fondly having snowball fights with his friends and siblings.
“It was a big deal, and such a beautiful day!” Goutoufas added. “Our neighborhood was truly a winter wonderland!”
Goutoufas went on to share that he and his brother would try to recreate the magic by turning on the sprinklers during the winter months when there was a freeze warning, but it didn’t work.
“They were the good old days for sure,” Goutoufas shared. “Moments like that live inside you for a lifetime.”
The Source: This story was written with information given by Tampa residents who recalled the day it snowed in 1977.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
On January 19, 1977, residents of Tampa, Florida woke up to a rare sight – snow covering their city in a winter wonderland. This unusual occurrence was caused by a combination of cold air moving over the Gulf of Mexico and a low-pressure system that brought precipitation to the area.
Families ventured outside to build snowmen, have snowball fights, and take pictures of the magical scene. Children who had never seen snow before were delighted by the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky.
Many businesses and schools closed for the day, allowing residents to enjoy this unexpected gift from nature. It was a day that will always be remembered by those who experienced it, as snow in Florida is a truly rare and special event.
The snow in Tampa in 1977 remains a unique and cherished memory for residents who were lucky enough to witness it, reminding them of the beauty and wonder of nature’s surprises.
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Snow in Florida, Tampa residents, winter wonderland, 1977, rare snowfall, historical weather event, Florida snowstorm, Tampa Bay snow, nostalgic snowfall, Tampa winter memories
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