North Florida residents from Pensacola to Jacksonville are bracing for what is expected to be a historic, once-in-a-lifetime winter storm.

The winter storm that crossed the Gulf coast and landed in Florida earlier this week is one for the record books, smashing the previous all-time high for snowfall in the Sunshine State.

Tuesday and Wednesday delivered a winter wonderland for some and delayed travel plans for others as an unusual layer of snow and ice coated North Florida. Preliminary storm data from the National Weather Service show as much as six inches of snow in Bonifay in Holmes County and in Fountain and Cedar Grove in Bay

The major winter storm moved east Wednesday, spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the eastern Carolinas. The precipitation hitting parts of the Deep South came as a blast of arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

Florida residents in four locations woke to very chilly temps. It was 25 in Tallahassee at 6 a.m. By comparison, it was 41 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Climatologically, it is not supposed to snow in South Florida. The laid-back tropics are a region constantly gaining energy from the sun, and with Florida's temperatures moderated by warm water on three sides, snow is unusual even in the northern reaches of the state.

A potentially historic winter storm is heading to Florida. It promises to bring a significant coat of snow and ice, which will cause power and road issues.

After a record-breaking Gulf Coast storm, cities like New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida, have had more snow this winter than Omaha, Des Moines and New York.

Areas between Pensacola and Milton saw as much as 10 inches of snow, according to recent snowfall totals. Residents wasted no time throwing on their winter gear and heading outside to sled on makeshift sleighs, build snowmen and get to work cleaning it all up.

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