Snow in Miami? (Hialeah, North Miami, Havana: house, high school, live)

[W-B proud]

Has it ever snowed in Miami? What is the weather like around Christmas time?

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Has it ever snowed in Miami? What is the weather like around Christmas time?

I don't think it has ever snowed in Miami, I could be wrong. Also, I heard that it has never topped 100 degrees either due to it's proximity to water. Native Miamians, am I correct?

Also, love the handle. I am originally from South Wilkes-Barre. Moved to Boston, now moving to Miami this summer. How is the downtown looking?

[tallrick]

The only time I remember seeing snow in Miami was 1977, I think. It was very little, and melted on contact with the ground. Only was visible on cars. I do remember getting ready for school and seeing it fall as I was outside. As for 100 degrees, while "officially" the temp has not gone to 100, I have seen the yard thermometer reach 100 on several occasions. Just remember that even 98 feels like hell on earth!

[kevinkagy]

It's true it has never hit 100 degrees in Miami, unlike many cities in the U.S. because of the coastal winds, and it has snowed in Miami a couple times, the last time was on January 20th, 1977.

The warmest it's ever been in Miami has been 98 degrees in 1974 and the coldest its ever been is 27 degrees in 1917.

[Meerteekah]

I remember the snowfall of '77. I was in high school.

Christmas varies. I remember Christmas Eves when I had to wear sweater and jacket cause it was MIGHTY nippy and there were frost alerts.

I remember Christmases when I was wearing strapless tops and it was balmy.

Varies. More often, NOT cold or cool, but mild.

December doesn't tend as cool or with as many cold fronts as January or February to my memory.

[TannerMan]

December wasn't to hot, it was warm with great cold fronts every so often that just cool everyone off, its pretty fantastic.

[nicsma2002]

It has snowed once in Miami (that we know of) on Wednesday, January 19, 1977, and it hit 100 in July of 1942. Christmas is usually warm, not always.

Source: Miami Weather and Climate FAQ

[tallrick]

And the last time there was a freeze or frost was before I moved, in 1990.

[Chelito23]

Well this is all relative. Regarding the "snow" (it was flurries people), it was sporadic and in the pre-dawn hours and it wasn't everywhere. It didn't even "flurry" at MIA, so no, technically it didn't snow at Miami. But of course there are pictures from TV of the cars with a light dusting before sunrise as some people have said. This is an anomaly here...

Regarding the frost and freezes, that is not a simple yes or no. I personally have NEVER seen frost or a freeze at my house. BUT, a couple of years ago, on one of the mornings when it was like 36 at my house (coldest reading I have ever had in Little Havana), I drove to North Miami, near Barry Univeristy, and there was a genuine frost on the grass there. It usually happens in the lowest areas with more open space (big yards)...and can happen a couple times each decade in the suburban, populated areas of South Florida.

On a yearly basis there IS frost in the Everglades, but that is an unpopulated area and it is only a handful of times each year out there.

As Tallrick stated, it has hit 100 at several places in South Florida, just not in "Miami". You have to remember that temperature records used to be kept and registered at Downtown Miami on Biscayne Blvd for the first 60 years of the city's history...and only recently (relatively) did they move the official reporting station 6 miles inland to MIA (where most people live now anyways). So, they went back in the record books and found that Hialeah, which is more representative of the weather for the populated Miami area, has in fact hit 100 several times (due to it being farther inland) and thus they now say that yes it has hit 100, just not in downtown Miami on the water. It is strange, but as Tallrick also said, weather it is 98 or 100, it is still hot. The Atlantic keeps our extreme summer temps. in check!

Also, if you look in the record books at reporting stations at 40 mile bend on US 41, they have hit well over 100 as have other areas like Devil's Garden in Hendry County on most dates from May to September. Inland South Florida (Western Suburbs) have easily hit 100 and will continue to do so, usually every other year on average.

I'm a big weather fan so I really go for this stuff....hehe

[MiamiRob]

yes it did snow in Miami in 1977! I remember it well but it was flurries instead! As for the heat I never recalled it ever being over 100 degrees.