The record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Key West, Florida, is 41°F (5°C). This historic low has occurred twice: once on January 12, 1886, and again on January 13, 1981. While 41°F might seem mild to those from northern climates, in a tropical frost-free zone like Key West, it is an extreme anomaly. Key West is famous for being the only city in the lower 48 states that has never recorded a frost or freeze; the temperature has never officially dropped to the freezing mark (32°F). Even during the most severe arctic blasts that send snow to North Florida and citrus-killing freezes to Miami, the surrounding warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean act as a thermal buffer. In 2026, while "cold snaps" occasionally bring temperatures into the 50s, the island remains a sanctuary of warmth, maintaining its reputation as one of the few places in the United States where winter truly never arrives.