Florida Cruise Passengers Could See Snowfall Onboard

A strong winter storm is set to hit the East Coast this weekend, with cruise ship passengers sailing off the coast of Florida possibly witnessing rare snowfall while onboard.
Many severe weather warnings are in place along the East Coast and in the Atlantic Ocean. The incoming storm will be equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill told Newsweek. It will rapidly intensify on Saturday morning, likely becoming classified as a bomb cyclone. The storm will bring heavy snow and gusty winds to the East Coast, particularly the Carolinas. At sea, the storm could bring snow flurries to the Atlantic Ocean north of the Bahamas, which hasn’t happened since 1977.
Any ships sailing near the area could encounter 20-foot waves, and passengers might even see snowflakes mixed with rain while onboard any ships in the area.
“There’s going to be waves of rain, probably mixed with snow, over the ocean late Saturday night into early Sunday because of how far south this cold air is going,” Merrill told Newsweek. “I don’t think any snow will accumulate on the ship, but people will see a couple of snowflakes mixed in with rain.”
Ships sailing off the coast of Jacksonville and Port Canaveral could experience the snowfall. However, of higher concern is the strong winds and massive waves the storm will churn up. Waves are expected to reach 15 feet off the coast of Florida this weekend. Further out in the Atlantic, Merrill warned of 20-foot waves.
List Of Cruise Ships Changing Course
Some cruise ships have already altered their course to avoid the worst of the storm. For Carnival Cruise Lines, two ships are impacted by the storm.
“Our Fleet Operations Center is closely monitoring the winter weather system moving along the East Coast,” a Carnival spokesperson told Newsweek. “The only adjustments made so far are for Carnival Sunshine, as she is returning to Norfolk one day earlier than planned to remain ahead of the system, and for Carnival Pride, which has modified her calls to allow additional time to sail around the weather as she makes her way back to Baltimore on Sunday. As always, any operational changes are made with the safety of our guests and crew as our top priority, and we will communicate directly with guests if further updates become necessary.”
Norwegian Cruise Lines also changed one of its ship’s itineraries because of the storm, with Norwegian Breakaway planning to return to New York early to avoid the bomb cyclone. The ship will return on February 1 instead of February 3, Cruise Hive reported. The change in plans means the ship won’t stop at St. Thomas on January 30 as originally planned.
Newsweek reached out to Norwegian Cruise Lines by email for comment.
Mariners Told To Avoid Storm
In a National Weather Service (NWS) forecast for the mid-Atlantic waters, mariners were advised to avoid the storm.
“Mariners should monitor the forecasts for [Saturday] and beyond, preparing to execute avoidance plans from this powerful low pressure system,” the NWS forecast said.
On Saturday night, windspeeds could become as strong as 65 knots, or 74 mph, which is equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
Extreme Cold In Florida
Cruise vacations are often known for their sunny skies and warm temperatures, but those sailing out of Florida this weekend will experience a different reality. Temperatures will feel as cold as 9 degrees in Orlando on Saturday night, Merrill said. Even South Florida can’t escape the chill, with wind chill making temperatures feel as cold as 18 degrees in West Palm Beach overnight on Saturday.
“It’s uncommon for a storm of this magnitude to be this far south with the cold air,” Merrill said. “Nor’easters can develop quickly off the North Carolina coast, but bomb cyclones don’t happen that often.”
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