Calgary Warms Up While Miami Freezes: A Christmas Surprise
In a rare weather twist, Calgary experienced warmer temperatures than Miami during a historic cold snap that brought snow to Florida.
Calgary, Miami, Florida, Cold Snap, Snow, Christmas
Calgary: Back in December 1989, Calgary was actually warmer than Miami for a few days. Can you believe it? A cold snap hit eastern North America, and Florida even got its first-ever white Christmas!
That winter solstice was something else. A blast of Arctic air came rushing down from Canada, hitting the Gulf of Mexico and surprising everyone, especially the snowbirds who thought they’d escaped the cold.
This cold snap was pretty wild. It wasn’t just about the freezing temperatures; it was the crazy snow that fell in places that usually don’t see it. It was a real weather anomaly!
It’s not every day that Calgary beats Miami in the warmth department, but that December, it sure did. The polar vortex was on the move, and it brought some serious chill.
Things kicked off when the polar vortex settled over the eastern Prairies just before Christmas. That cold air spread like wildfire, dropping temperatures below -30°C in parts of Canada.
And it just kept getting colder! By December 19, places like Fort McMurray were hitting -40°C. That’s some serious cold, right?
But the cold air didn’t stick around. It started moving south, pushing into the U.S. and even reaching as far as the Gulf of Mexico. Dallas was shivering with highs of just -10°C on December 22!
Then, a low-pressure system formed over the Gulf, dragging that cold air all the way down to southern Florida. Mobile, Alabama, even stayed below freezing for two days—unheard of!
With all this cold air, Calgary managed to stay warmer than Miami on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve morning, Miami was at 1°C while Calgary was a cozy 6°C.
The New York Times even had a headline saying, “State of Emergency Called as Florida Freezes.” Miami dropped below freezing on Christmas Eve, and Orlando felt colder than Minneapolis!
But the real kicker was the snow. The winter storm over the Gulf had plenty of moisture and cold air, leading to a rare winter storm along the southeastern coast.
Florida saw accumulating snow, with Jacksonville Beach waking up to 6 cm on December 24. It was the first white Christmas ever recorded in Florida!
Meanwhile, the Carolinas were hit hard too. Charleston got 20 cm of snow, and Wilmington saw over 50 cm. It was a winter wonderland!
That cold snap in 1989 was the last time Miami officially dropped below freezing, and it was also the last time Jacksonville saw measurable snowfall. What a Christmas that was!