TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) - Much of north Florida was shut down Wednesday after a winter storm blanketed the region in ice and snow. The state urged everyone to remain off the roads until it is safe to drive.

North Florida residents from Pensacola to Jacksonville are bracing for what is expected to be a historic, once-in-a-lifetime winter storm.

Here’s where snow fell in Florida, how much snow the Sunshine State got this week and what the coldest day in Florida history was.

The last time Central Florida saw freezing temperatures was Christmas Day 2022, sinking to nearly 30 in some areas and causing sleet in Brevard County. Thursday’s high temperature in Orlando is expected to reach 53 with a low of 38.

While the snow may be over, the cold isn't, and that brings another hazard to Florida motorists not used to driving in snow and ice.

Not only did Florida get record snowfall, but it was colder in Pensacola this morning than it was in Anchorage, Alaska.

It's officially snowing in north Florida as of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee confirmed. Videos and photos show the fluffy white stuff accumulating on the ground in Escambia County.

Pensacola beat the old record of 3 inches. Icy conditions will bring dangerous roads across the Panhandle and North Florida on Wednesday morning. The front loses its speed over the Peninsula. Here's your forecast.

Snow in Florida is quite rare but not unheard of. The last time parts of the Sunshine State picked up a dusting of snow was back in 2018. Tonight's storm will bring a lot more than a dusting, even rivaling the winter storm of 1989, which blanketed north Florida with snow and ice days before Christmas.

“North winds 25 to 30 knots with gusts up to 45 knots. Seas 7 to 10 feet, occasionally to 13 feet,” the NWS marine forecast from Fernandina Beach south to St. Augustine said. “Intracoastal waters very rough. Showers. Freezing rain after midnight.”

Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU) will cancel classes and suspend normal operations on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and Wednesday, Jan. 22, due to expected wintry precipitation and ice,

Snow totals in the inconceivable 4-6” range are a possibility. The all-time Florida snow record of 4” from Milton in 1954 is in serious danger of falling in the next 24 hours.