Florida Weather

[TheStormExpert]

If this current airmass were to come through 3-4 months ago we would've been talking overnight lows at or below 32 well down into South Florida I would imagine!

[northjaxpro]

A very beautiful spring morning in Northeast Florida. 40 degrees currently here at the home station. It feels great after 92 degrees back on Thursday, the first 90 + reading of the season.

A very pleasant, cool and sunny weekend for this weekend. I will enjoy it completely as this will in all likelihood be the last good cool weather spell we will have around here until October.

[SouthFloridian92]

It was down to about 46-47 here this morning. Feels great out now. Cool and low humidity. However we are on the warning for fires. There was a big one in Tampa yesterday that shut down a highway intersection. It has been incredibly dry. Some more rain would be nice. We had a nice thunderstorm the other morning here. Hopefully we get more of those as we enter the rainy season.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Feels fantastic outside- those were some crazy low dewpoints across the Peninsula last 2 days!

[psyclone]

US drought monitor now shows much of central florida in severe drought in addition to the southwest part of the state. things are escalating as expected with numerous wildfires. The Keetch Byram numbers continue to show Lee County (Ft Myers region) as the absolute worst. There's sufficient time for some extreme drought to develop before the rainy season gets underway...probably most likely in southwest FL.

[NDG]

Breezy easterly dry winds not helping the dry conditions over central FL, not setting up for daytime heating to trigger afternoon inland storms to develop, maybe a better chance next week as winds turn more southerly with more moisture moving in.

[psyclone]

interesting to note that today's 8-14 day outlook shows above normal precip (barely but that's an improvement over the recent persistent below normal tendencies) and a moderation of the above normal temp anomalies. it may not amount to anything since this is an extremely dry time of year climatologically and average temps are warm and rising fast but the trends are worth monitoring. The WPC 7 day QPF has some potential for south florida in the rainfall dept with .5-1" over extreme south florida and the keys.

[psyclone]

radar shows new large fires today with one in Charlotte county sending a smoke plume toward Punta Gorda, another one in Okeechobee county sending a smoke plume into northern Highlands county and a big one in the green swamp in southern Sumter county sending a smoke plume westward into Hernando county. Lighter easterly winds have allowed a seabreeze to develop on the west coast.

[TheStormExpert]

One can only hope that the rainy season gets going sooner than normal to bring much needed relief to all the wildfires burning throughout Florida due to such an extreme dry season over the past six months.

[Taffy]

In addition to the large fire in Charlotte county, Lee county had a small 11 acre fire in Lehigh Acres. Our canals are so low or dry that the fire rescue were reporting they were unable to get enough water from the canal. I

[Patrick99]

I see that even as we'd held steadily normal throughout most of the dry season, all of the SE Florida metro areas are now showing as "abnormally dry" in the drought monitor. Countdown to rainy season begins now....let's see if we can get a rare April start. Dewpoints need to come up a bit.

[TheStormExpert]

WATER SHORTAGE WARNING
Officials say mandatory water restrictions may be considered: http://bit.ly/2pnGaUc

[psyclone]

In addition to the large fire in Charlotte county, Lee county had a small 11 acre fire in Lehigh Acres. Our canals are so low or dry that the fire rescue were reporting they were unable to get enough water from the canal. I

Lee county is and has been the absolute worst in terms of surface dryness on the Keetch Byram drought index. absent rain soon, I'd expect extreme drought to show in that region first on the US drought monitor. The process of drying really accelerates at this time of the year with the longer days/increasing sun angle.

[gatorcane]

On the dry side here in SE Palm Beach County but fortunately we have managed to squeeze out some rains over the weekend from some quick moving showers off the Atlantic, nothing significant, but just enough to keep the grass from completely dying. Sun angle is definitely getting higher and sun much stronger so if you don't get rain every few days, grass pretty much gets torched. As we do every year at this time, we count down the days until rainy season starts...(typically around May 21st)

[HURRICANELONNY]

The NWS Miami kind of givintg a better chance of rain with pwats around 1.5. The 7 day doesn't put much drought denting down here. Just at 20%. I guess better then nothin.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... PUvENQrI1k

[TheStormExpert]

Keep your fingers crossed we get some much needed rain from this!

.UPDATE...We will start to see a slow moistening trend overnight
as the disturbance lifting out of the Gulf of Mexico starts to
lift the tropical plume to our south back into the region. Area of
showers across the FL Straits and Cuba are expected to lift
northwards overnight, but perhaps just reach the far southern
areas of the peninsula towards daybreak. As moisture increases a
few more Bahamian convergent bands will be possible, though with
flow veering more southeasterly these may more parallel the coast
than move into it. Will add isolated showers to the Atlantic
waters for the current convergence bands.

THIS WEEKEND AND MONDAY: Area of disturbed weather over the Gulf
will be picked up by the trough swinging through the central and
southern US on Saturday, and lifted across the region through the
weekend. The southern extent of main trough is then forecast to dig
across the southeastern US/N Florida with a deepening upper level
low as it swings across.

As the disturbance lifts north tomorrow, low level flow will veer
southerly, tapping into the tropical moisture plume to our south.
Models have continued with the solution of a very moist environment
advecting across the region with PWATs likely approaching 2 inches.
The setup looks favorable for a period of much needed moderate to
heavy rain with good isentropic lift in a very moist environment.
Extensive cloud cover will likely minimize instability, but
enough will be present for an isolated thunderstorm mention
through Monday. Given the extensive rainfall deficits across the
region, no significant flooding is currently expected.

The forecast will be for increasing coverage of showers starting
late Saturday morning/afternoon, with coverage likely maximizing
Saturday night into Sunday afternoon. Models hint at potential
Gulf and Atlantic seabreezes both days, which will maximize
convergence and rainfall amounts if they materialize.

As mid level flow veers west-southwest Sunday night ahead of the
main trough, most of the tropical moisture will get shunted off to
our east. Overall rain coverage is expected to decrease on
Monday, but at least isolated showers can still be expected as the
the surface low crosses the state and brings a frontal boundary
through the region.

[Taffy]

I desperately hope so. My neighborhood area went up in flames today. Over 300 acres burned. Took 14 houses. Still burning but contained for the most part. Lehigh Acres. Golden Gate has a massive out of control fire. Homes and livestock Port Charlotte also has a fire. My kingdom for rain

[TheStormExpert]

Talk about some much needed rain!

[NDG]

It doesn't look too promising for the Orlando area to get much rain out of this system coming across S FL, maybe just a few pop storms later this afternoon that some neighborhood may be more lucky than others will get, but as far as widespread rain for my area not the best chances, per the latest HRRR run.

[gatorcane]

Good rains in Boca Raton here in SE Florida, much needed for sure. Unfortunately the i-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando will miss out and it has been even drier up there.