Florida was spared from hurricanes in 2025, but the year was marked by a variety of intense weather events, including one of the most intense snowstorms in a century on the Gulf Coast.
Many municipalities reported that 2025 was one of their ten warmest years on record, with low precipitation. In fact, most of the state experienced drought conditions, although a late rainy season helped mitigate the risk of wildfires. Let’s take a look of the situation, with data from WLRN.
An epic snowstorm kicked off the year: In January 2025, snow stretched from Texas to Florida, with some communities in Santa Rosa County in the Panhandle recording up to ten inches (25.4 cm) of snow. There were even snowflakes in Jacksonville for the first time in 35 years!
Florida is not used to such severe weather, and many homes were left without power. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency. The airports in Tallahassee and Pensacola, as well as 70 miles (113 km) of Interstate 10, were closed until the snow and ice melted.
Tornado in Central Florida. Although the year was mild in terms of tornadoes (half the average number), the one that struck Seminole County on March 10, 2025, was recorded as an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds of 120 mph (193 km/h).
A relatively calm hurricane season. From June to November 2025, 13 storms were named, only four of which became hurricanes. The strong swells caused by Category 5 hurricanes Erin (August 2025) and Humberto (late September 2025) caused rising waters in coastal areas and severe beach erosion.
Summer heat waves. August 2025 was the ninth warmest on record for Florida; overall, the summer of 2025 ranks as the sixth warmest ever recorded in the state. For example, West Palm Beach reported an average August temperature of 85.6˚F (29.8˚C), which is 2.4 degrees above the seasonal average.
Many cities recorded daily heat records in August 2025: Fort Lauderdale Beach reached 99˚F (37.2˚C) on August 23, with many other days above 95˚F (35°C); Tampa with 98˚F (36.6˚C) on August 7; Key West reached 100˚F (37.8˚C) on August 17; West Palm Beach 96˚F (35.6˚C) on August 20.
Flash floods in October: Central and South Florida experienced intense late rains this year in late October. Lake County was particularly affected, with several roads covered by more than a foot (30 cm) of water, as were several towns in Palm Beach County, which recorded up to seven inches (18 cm) of rainfall. Experts at Florida Atlantic University estimated that one billion gallons of rain fell on Boca Raton in just a few hours. Despite this, Florida ended the year with a rainfall deficit.
