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.

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.

Florida buried in record-breaking snow as ice freezes South leaving at least 13 dead - The dangerous winter storm has resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people across the U.S. and knocked out power for more than 120,

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 .

The rare Southern storm prompted this headline from the Anchorage Daily News: "Hey, New Orleans, please send some of your snow to Anchorage."

A winter storm pummeled the southern United States with ice and snow Tuesday. Here's how much snow fell in Florida, Texas, Alabama and more.

“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.

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.