The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Pensacola area and said there's a 50% chance the region will see snow amounts of 1 to 3 inches on Tuesday. If there's no snow, there will be freezing rain and ice accumulation.
The Winter Storm Watch is in effect from 6 a.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Wednesday for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Snow is more likely north of Interstate 10, and a mix of sleet, snow, and freezing rain south of I-10. There is a low chance (10%) that the area could see 3 to 5 inches of snow.
"Confidence on whether we will see all snow or a wintry mix is still low due to uncertainties on temperatures above the surface," the weather service office in Mobile, Alabama, said in a Facebook post. "NO MATTER WHAT, impacts are expected, and conditions will likely deteriorate through the day on Tuesday."
For areas more than a mile or so from the coast, the weather service said to expect "moderate impacts" from the winter storm, which include "disruptions to daily life," including hazardous driving conditions. Roads, bridges, and overpasses will become icy, making travel impossible at times. Tree damage and power outages are also possible.
Areas directly along the coast will see "minor impacts" with minimum winter driving conditions.
Timing of the winter weather could begin as soon as Tuesday morning and will continue throughout the day.
The area will see bitterly cold temperatures that will remain below freezing all day except for a few hours Tuesday afternoon. Making it worse for anyone outside is the wind chill, which is expected to reach as low as 14 degrees in Pensacola early Wednesday morning. Hypothermia is possible if no precautions are taken, the weather service said.
County officials advised residents to stay off of the roads, if possible, in the event of snow or sleet as most drivers are ill equipped for this kind of weather and driving in these hazardous conditions are unfamiliar to many Floridians.
Unlike in the Midwest or Northeast parts of the country, many local residents have never even seen snow, much less driven in it, said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore.
Keeping your home warm will also be important to residents but county officials warned about overuse of electrical items during subfreezing temperatures, especially when those devices are plugged into power strips instead of wall outlets. During the cold weather, improper use of items like space heaters could start a fire inside your home if you're not careful.
"The portable heaters draw more amperage, so you want to plug it straight into the wall. That way you get the correct amperage to your device," Gilmore said. "A lot of people like to put blankets over those portable heater devices to keep their bed warm and all that - don't do (that). Keep stuff away from it so it doesn't heat up and catch things on fire."
A safer, and cheaper, way to trap heat in your home is to stuff blankets into your windows.
"It would be too late to check your insulation and all that in the attic, but what you can do is put blankets around drafty windows. If you feel air coming around doors or windows, barricade it with blankets," he continued. "Make sure you have proper heating sources, don't use the oven ... If you've got a gas oven to heat the house up that's not an appropriate heating source. If you're using propane-type devices, make sure you have carbon monoxide alarms in your home that can detect carbon monoxide if levels get high."
Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said that the county is working with its community outreach partners to let people on the streets know about the incoming weather and provide them with information on where they can find shelter. He also said that Escambia County Area Transit will transport people between shelters once the cold weather hits and that the shelters will try to accommodate everyone's situation, including people with animals.
The following shelters are open in Escambia County, as part of the county's cold weather sheltering plan:
348 W. Herman St., Pensacola
Accepting men and women. Open 24 hours, with expanded capacity and no charge during cold weather events
2200 N. Palafox St., Pensacola
Accepting women with children. Open daily, with expanded capacity during cold weather events. Intake is from 4-6 p.m. (after 6 p.m. if accompanied by law enforcement)
7895 Pensacola Blvd., Pensacola
Men and women, no children. Intake is from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Clients must leave by 7 a.m., with ECAT providing free transportation to Waterfront starting at 7 a.m.
Open through Wednesday night, Jan. 22, with operations continuing if temperatures continue to be 32 degrees or below.
"While some of the shelters will shut down at a hard stop, Waterfront will be open around the clock so they can be a warming shelter for those types of people and ECAT will provide services to get them there," Gilmore said.
For information on shelters as well as emergency resources and services across Escambia County, visit MyEscambia.com/realchange or call 211.
The cold weather shelter for the homeless and/or heatless at Ferris Hill Baptist Church, 6848 Chaffin St. in Milton, are open 24 hours until 10 a.m. Thursday.
No one will be admitted after 8:30 p.m. each night unless brought in by law enforcement. Only service animals (with verification of rabies vaccination) are permitted to stay with guests.
Volunteers are needed through Wednesday.Shifts are in two-hour increments and there will always be at least two volunteers present at all times. To see available shifts and to sign up to volunteer, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44A5AC2DA1FDC16-54474634-cold#/.
Santa Rosa County's cold weather shelter is operated by Ferris Hill Baptist Church, utilizing volunteer resources and donations. It opens each night weather is forecasted to drop below 40 degrees, typically November through March. The shelter is for people who are homeless or cannot maintain heat in their homes, can care for themselves, and are not at risk to themselves or others. No one will be admitted to the shelter who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, unable to walk unaided or disoriented.
Floridians are encouraged to remember the "Five P's" of cold weather safety: Protect People, Protect Plants, Protect Pets, Protect Exposed Pipes and Practice Fire Safety. To stay cozy and safe during cold weather, keep these tips in mind:
News Journal reporter Edward Bunch III contributed to this report.