This is the rare moment snow was recorded falling in FLORIDA - after temperatures plunged more than 20°C overnight in a matter of hours.

Rare snow flurries were witnessed near Fort Walton Beach in the 'Sunshine State' at about 3am on Monday (03/01) - the first snowfall recorded in the US state since 2018.

The swirling flakes were caught on camera by a deputy from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy was stationed in the car park of homeware shop Lowe's when the snow started to fall.

The clip was captioned: "Well how’s this for a temperature change?

"From 75 degrees at 3 in the afternoon to snow at 3 am captured during patrol in the Lowe’s parking lot on Beal by B-Shift Central!

"Bundle up out there!"

Temperatures in the area reached above 20°C the day before.

However by the early hours it had dropped to -3°C, resulting in a fluttering of snowflakes which did not settle.

According to the National Weather Service, a band of light snow pushed across parts of southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama on Sunday night.

Those flakes headed east in the early hours of Monday morning, dropping snow in Florida.

The last time snow was recorded in Florida was in Tallahassee in 2018, which led to the closure of schools, government offices and main roads.

In January 1977, it snowed as far south as Tampa where the Bay area saw up to half an inch of snow.

The video was recorded on January 3 2021 at 3am.