A strong winter storm blasting through the United States, including the Gulf Coast, is bringing the rare sight of snow and ice to northern Florida, and frigid rain to Tampa Bay.

The Florida Department of Transportation has closed parts of I-10 in north Florida because of the rare winter storm.>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE As of 7:15 p.m., the interstate is closed from MM 5 in Escambia County to MM 70 in Okaloosa County.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency as the Panhandle and other parts of north Florida get hit with frigid weather and the possibility of snow and ice.

A winter weather system headed toward North Florida prompted the governor to issue a state of emergency for the region on Monday.

During a press conference Tuesday, he pointed at the unusual situation of winter weather in Florida by referencing the "Blizzard Beach" amusement park in Orlando

Snow in Florida is quite rare but not unheard of. The last time parts of the Sunshine State picked up a dusting of snow was back in 2018. Tonight's storm will bring a lot more than a dusting, even rivaling the winter storm of 1989, which blanketed north Florida with snow and ice days before Christmas.

North Florida could see a rare round of frozen precipitation next week — though the timing will have to be just right for sleet or snow to materialize.

While the winter weather is not expected to push too far into Central Florida, some counties have the chance to see freezing rain. See temperature outlook, full forecast:

Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Interstate 10 corridor where snow and ice accumulations could reach 4" over the next 24 hours. Pensacola will likely see the most snowfall in the state while greater amounts of ice are anticipated for cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA – A rare winter storm is set to impact North Florida and southern Georgia on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and it will bring the risk of ice and even some snow to the region.

At least 6 inches of snow has been reported in parts of the Florida panhandle, surpassing the record of 4 inches set in 1954. The record snowfall comes as a significant winter storm is sweeping across parts of the Gulf Coast, including the Florida Panhandle.