Video: Freezing Temperatures in the South Are Making Gulf of Mexico Waters Steam With 'Sea Smoke'

Freezing temperatures in the Deep South have caused a layer of steam to form over the Gulf of Mexico's 64-degree waters.

The weather phenomenon, which meteorologists refer to as "sea smoke," happens when Arctic air moves over warmer bodies of water. When the hot and cold meet, it causes a layer of fog that rises over the surface. It's also called "frost smoke" or "steam fog."

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Although it occurs often, the latest incident was unique because sea smoke rarely happens over the Gulf of Mexico, according to The Washington Post. Many people took to social media to post photos and videos of the unusual instance.

Mike Seidel, a meteorologist and field reporter for The Weather Channel, shared a video on Twitter of the smoke at Pensacola Beach, Florida, explaining that: "It has to get real cold to see this: 22° air flowing over 64° gulf water this AM will do it ..... and the wind chill was 8°. Even some sleet/snow fell overnight."

Others in the Pensacola area also took advantage of the opportunity to capture the event.

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Sea smoke can happen above smaller bodies of water, such as lakes. A video tweeted by Jill Gilardi, a WBRC meteorologist in Birmingham, Alabama, shows the steam rising above Lake Wedowee, located in the northeast part of the state.

The South's steam fog doesn't come as too much of a surprise, considering many southern regions have been experiencing record-breaking temperatures this winter.

On Wednesday, residents of North Texas experienced the coldest temperatures since 2011. WFAA, an ABC-affiliate in Dallas, reported it was below 20 degrees in at least eight Texas cities. Fortunately for some Texans, it's expected to be in the 70s this weekend in parts of the state.