Tarpon Springs braves cold temperatures for chance of snow

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Tarpon Springs has been experiencing chilly winds, and residents are braving the cold in hopes of catching a glimpse of snow. One local man set his alarm for 3 a.m. to witness any snow flurries.

"It's like a two outta 10 chance now. It went up to like seven outta 10 chance. So I was like, all right. Alarm's getting set," said David Fernandez. "It's an event, it's going to be great."

The weather event was patchy and sporadic, but WINK News cameras captured snowflakes around 5 a.m. at Klosterman Bay.

Jennifer Fernandez said, "He washes the weather like every day. He loves the weather."

The couple walked along the waterfront but turned around quickly due to the cold. Jennifer described the beachfront as "freezing".

"It was horrible," said David. "It just means a better chance for snow if it's cold."

Residents of Tarpon Springs have been handling the cold in their own unique ways. Emily Evans was wearing a t-shirt and flip-flops to dinner with friends.

"I think it's gonna snow and I'm gonna be in flip flops when it does," said Evans. " I'm not myself if I'm not in flip-flops."

Fred Cook, who moved from Massachusetts, said if it snowed,he was going to bundle up and go to bed.

He was pessimistic about Tarpon Springs getting snow, but didn't outright dismiss the poor outlook. "Stranger things have happened, and I just saw on the internet that it was snowing in Inverness. So that's pretty close," said Cook.

Andrea and Bob, a couple from New Jersey, have differing opinions about the weather. "This has been too cold. It's too cold for us down here. I moved down here from New Jersey. Again, I don't like the cold weather, so I don't like this. I want warm back," said Bob, saying he didn't even want to see the snow through a TV screen.

Andrea disagreed, saying, "I think it's great.  No two days have been the same. We've had highs, lows, and in between. And being a Florida girl, we get to experience some seasonal changes, so I appreciate it, and I'm looking forward to it. And I'm wearing flip flops."

The usually bustling areas of Tarpon Springs feel deserted, with locals staying inside to avoid the freezing winds.