Florida came close to having a white Christmas. Watch what fell from the sky
Florida might not get a white Christmas this year but it got close, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The weather service confirmed that partially melted snowflakes known as sleet were observed Sunday morning near the Rockledge, Viera, and Merritt Island areas in Brevard County. According to the agency, sleet can accumulate on the ground and look like snow.
Videos posted on social media show ice pellets falling in residential areas while parts of the county were under a freeze watch. At 6 a.m., temperatures plummeted to 28 in Daytona Beach, 30 in Leesburg, 28 in Sanford, 30 in Orlando, 34 in Melbourne, 36 in Vero Beach and 37 in Fort Pierce.
READ MORE: It’s a cold Christmas in Miami. When will it warm up? What about the Dolphins game?
“Best Christmas ever,” Twitter user @kahristah wrote from Rockledge, and shared videos of the falling sleet.
User @SteveOStereo posted a video showing ice pellets falling on top of a car.
“SLEET on Christmas Morning in Rockledge!” he said.
And @ACarl8610 said he spotted sleet on Merritt Island.
Here are more videos and photos of falling sleet in Brevard:
Facts about sleet
Sleet occurs when snowflakes only partially melt when they fall through a shallow layer of warm air, according to the weather service’s website.
These slushy drops refreeze as they next fall through a deep layer of freezing air above the surface, and eventually reach the ground as frozen rain drops that bounce on impact.
Depending on the intensity and duration, sleet can accumulate on the ground much like snow.
This story was originally published December 25, 2022 at 4:21 PM.
