Have you ever heard of Gulf-Effect Snow? Gulf-effect snow is when frigid temperature air moves over the, in contrast, warm waters of the Gulf. That difference in temperature allows the warm, moist air to rise. Under the perfect conditions, it can produce narrow bands of snow. Lucky for us, there is a small chance of this happening this weekend and we might get snow falling in Tampa Bay!
Planning for Snow
The coldest part of this weekend will be early Sunday morning, before sunrise. If you’re close to the coast, you could see a few flurries fall. The National Weather Service says there is a narrow window from 11 p.m. on Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday when there is a small chance of snow flurries.
COLD and WIND the big story next 48 hours!
— Paul Dellegatto⚡️FOX (@PaulFox13) January 30, 2026
Cold front will move down the state Saturday morning with falling temperatures along with gusty northwest winds. It will be very cold Saturday night and Sunday morning with an Extreme Cold Warning up for most areas except the immediate… pic.twitter.com/II73q0Va5i
What are the chances?
Most forecasts don’t predict that we’ll get any snowfall, but there is a very small chance according to the models.
How will this affect me?
That being said, we will still have a Severe Weather Warning for Sunday and Monday. If you were planning on heading to Gaspy, please keep in mind that the “Gasparilla Invasion Route” has been shifted due to the wind forecast.
For more, here’s an article on the potential Snow Day from Fox 13.
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