A historic winter snowstorm is sweeping the southern United States this week, and it has many social media users baffled.

Posts showing snow on Florida and South Carolina beaches, snowball fights in Alabama and Texas and more have gone viral.

According to AP News, The National Weather Service said 7 to 8 inches of snow had been reported in areas between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La.

The previous record for that area was 2.7 inches of snow in 1963.

Lake Charles, La. even issued their first-ever blizzard warning.

For many people who live in the south, the extremely rare storm is their first time seeing snow.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for a lot of these folks down there. For kids that have never had snowball fights … they’re going to have one," AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines said, per AP.

READ MORE: Make Your Life Easier With These 25 Perfect Winter Hacks

The National Weather Service in Anchorage, Alaska, tweeted, "New Orleans, LA has received more than double the amount of snowfall we've received here in Anchorage, AK since the start of meteorological winter (Dec. 1). New Orleans: 8.0" Anchorage: 3.8"."

One woman in New Orleans shared a shocking video of the heavy snow coverage on Bourbon Street, which received over one million views on TikTok.

Meanwhile, in Florida, residents reported 10 inches of snow in some places, such as Pensacola.

Someone else on X (formerly Twitter) joked that the Waffle House was still open in Pensacola, because of course they were.

And in one truly bizarre scene, someone posted a video of a Destin, Fla. beach covered in snow, which mirrored many viral shots of Myrtle Beach, S.C. with their very own snow-covered beaches.

Tampa, Fla. news outlet WFLA provided some scientific context behind the history-making storm.

According to the outlet, the storm is due to "very cold air [that] is being forced south into the Gulf, while warm-moist air is being propelled above it by a stalled front and weak low pressure over the Gulf."

They described the situation as "very unique."

They added that "because the polar jet stream is stuck over the Gulf Coast," it has been "forced thousands of miles south of its normal location by a displaced Polar Vortex."

The Polar Vortex, which is usually above Canada, is currently sitting at the top of the United States after being forced down by warm air over the Arctic Ocean.

"It's all connected," the outlet said.

The surprising snowstorm juxtaposes the recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, Calif., which displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Though they've been partially contained, the Palisades and Eaton fires are still burning.

Devastating Los Angeles Wildfires in Photos

See jaw-dropping photos from the multiple wildfires raging through Los Angeles in January 2025.

More From The New 96.1 WTSS