Voices from a bright yet chilly neighborhood stroll on Wednesday in snow-covered Panama City:
+ Erin Park, a student physician working in hospice health care, said being from central Florida, she never thought she’d see snow in her state.
“Take tiny steps,” Parks said, offering advice for those who have never walked on snow or ice. “This is crazy! I’ve never seen snow like this before. And now (Florida has) it.”
Susan Bozarth walks Buddy in the Sweetbay neighborhood of Panama City, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025. Jonathan Hayes, the city’s manager, reports that areas of town received as much as 6 inches of snow — triple the amount that was forecast for the region. (Tyler Orsburn/News Herald)
+ Susan Bozarth has seen snow before. After all, she’s from Georgia. But she’s been in Florida for 35 years and said 1989 was the last snow storm she could remember.
“It’s beautiful, though,” Bozarth said of frozen tundra as she walked her 7-year-old dog, Buddy. “(Buddy) loved it last night when it was falling. (And) he wanted to play with all the kids today. (But) he’s a little unsure of the ice.”
Live updates on Wednesday | Winter storm in Bay County: Roads, schools, forecast and more
+ Joseph Overby, a Florida native, said he was a kid during the 1989 snow storm, but never expected to see snow again in his backyard.
“Building snowmen and throwing snowballs,” Overby said, describing his childhood memory as he watched his children play in a nearby playground.
“Well, my son’s freezing! He didn’t want to get out in it yesterday. He wanted to stay inside. But he’s out sledding today. And my daughter is crazy as can be. She didn’t want to come inside yesterday; it was hard to get her to go to bed.”
+ Jenelle Muller knows the tropics. The 12-year-old just returned from visiting family in the Philippines, a country of 7,000 islands. So, Tuesday’s snow storm was kind of surprising, she said.
-“We’re supposed to have beaches,” Muller said, describing her typical life in Panama City. “And then I started getting happy because my two favorite things are beach and snow. And I was like, ‘Maybe Florida will start doing this more often!’”
And with Bay District Schools closing schools for another day, Muller said she had no problem postponing her homework assignments until then.
+ Bryan Holland said he loves the water, but not so much the cold. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Holland said he and his family moved to Panama City after he retired from the Navy in 2018 — three days after Hurricane Michael’s landfall.
“My kids haven’t seen snow until today,” Holland said, describing his family’s golf cart outing. “Well, actually, they saw it in Atlanta last week on the way back from the Philippines. But it was just on top of cars. Now they’re getting to play in it. So it’s a great opportunity for them.”
Ylen Morales, bottom, and Gabby Champagne, “sunbathe” in the Sweetbay neighborhood of Panama City on Wednesday.
+ Gabby Champagne, director of communications for the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce, said this was only her third time seeing snow, and first in Panama City.
“It’s definitely (an experience) that I keep like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening!’” Champagne said with wonder. “I’ve definitely eaten a few handfuls of it!”
+ Ylen Morales, of Panama City Beach, said that she saw snow four years ago in California, but that in her homeland of Puerto Rico, there’s not a lot of snow.
“It is 86 degrees over there and hot,” she said. “(But) this is crazy. I never thought I would see snow in Florida. (But) I love it. And it feels amazing.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City, Florida residents frolic in the snow
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