Could it snow in Florida this weekend? What to know about the Gulf Effect

A weather phenomenon known as the Gulf Effect could bring snow flurries to Florida this weekend, forecasters say.

A cold air mass with an arctic front will come through the Tampa Bay area on Saturday. That, paired with lingering moisture and the Gulf’s wind direction, may create the rare chance to see flurries of snow in Manatee County, according to Matt Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Anderson described this as the “Gulf Effect.“

The Gulf Effect is similar to the lake effect weather phenomenon that is common around the Great Lakes, in which cold air travels across the relatively warmer open water and moisture is transferred into the atmosphere, causing some snowfall.

READ MORE: Will it snow in Miami this weekend? What the cold will bring to Florida

Is it cold enough to snow in Florida?

“It’s rare the air is cold enough for it to happen. This weekend, it might be,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, wrote in an Instagram post explaining the Gulf Effect.

Saturday night’s low will be about 36 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Anderson says that some snow flurries may fall late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. However, inland residents aren’t likely to experience them.

“I do expect that somebody would see a few flurries fall at some point Saturday night into Sunday morning,” Anderson said. “But definitely not all of us, and those that do see a few flurries… would be like a mile or two from the coast.”

Anderson added that once you get more than a couple of miles inland, “the atmosphere really dries up,” generally eliminating the chances of seeing snow flurries.

Although these flurries may occur, they will not accumulate into any snow cover, according to Anderson.