With Freezing Temperatures, Will It Snow at Disney World This Weekend?

The Walt Disney World Resort is about to get the coldest weekends in years. Temperatures are going to drop below freezing all across Central Florida, and local news stations are issuing Freeze warnings for much of the region.

As we start grabbing our coats in order to head out to the Parks, we can’t help but ask, could it actually snow at Disney World this weekend?

The answer is yes, but it is very unlikely.

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC):

Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is a minimum amount of moisture in the air. If the ground temperature is at or below freezing, the snow will reach the ground. However, the snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are just right. In this case, snowflakes will begin to melt as they reach this higher temperature layer; the melting creates evaporative cooling which cools the air immediately around the snowflake. This cooling retards melting. As a general rule, though, snow will not form if the ground temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit).

Keeping this information in mind, let’s look at the local weather forecast. The temperature at Disney World will drop below freezing (32-degrees Fahrenheit) on the weekend of January 29 and January 30, and there is a freeze warning in effect. Frost was reported earlier this week, which shows the ground temperature can get suitably low.

Related: Freeze Coming to Animal Kingdom – Disney’s Plan to Keep Animals Warm

However, it does not look like the air, and the ground will stay that cold for long. The coldest temperatures are expected to hit overnight, with temperatures creeping up to the 40s and 50s later in the day. Then there is the matter of moisture. Saturday and Sunday are supposed to have clear, sunny skies with very low humidity.

So, even though we may be wishing upon our favorite star every night to get that special wintery magic at the Most Magical Place on Earth, it may be that we have to wait a little longer. In its 50 year history, the Walt Disney World Resort has never experienced snowfall. Its sister resorts, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort, have, though! Click the links below to see some fantastic footage.

Read more: Snowfall Photos at Disneyland Paris

Read More: Snowcapped Disney Park Adds Monorail Snowplow to Combat the Weather