JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — December 23rd, 1989.
Anyone who was in Jacksonville that day knows where they were and what they were doing. It was the date of the heaviest snowfall in the City of Jacksonville in recent memory. Also, only one of three days when the city reported accumulated snowfall, the others being in 1899 and 1958.
Jacksonville reported .8 total inches from the storm, that is from official records at the airport. Jacksonville Beach reported 2.5 inches on the ground.
This rare Christmas snow was set up from a strong 1055 mb cold high pressure that plunged south driving freezing behind a cold front across the entire southeastern USA. That combined with a low pressure off the coast of the Carolinas, which helped pull the jet stream and upper level winds to the southeast led to snow developing here on the First Coast.
Prior to the snowfall rain fell over Jacksonville which led to a freeze along with snow. This combination made most roads and bridges across the area impassible.
Despite the entire First Coast being shut down plenty of people still got out to enjoy the winter wonderland. The photos below are from our First Coast News Weather Watchers.
