Dry Weather Pattern Not Expected to Abate Soon in Florida

There is no good news on the horizon for drought-stricken Florida. The latest long-range forecast models indicate that the Sunshine State will indeed remain quite sunny, with little to no rain ahead. Here is a look at the dry forecast for Florida.

Dry Conditions Envelop Much of Florida with Little Relief in Sight

It has been a dry stretch of weather for the state of Florida. According to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of the peninsula is under the designation of abnormally dry to drought conditions. This is the time of the year when things are at their dry peak in Florida.

The time from the late fall months after the tropical weather season wraps up into spring is the driest time of the year for the region. The bulk of the state's annual rainfall comes at the hands of the typical afternoon thunderstorms that pop up late in the spring and summer months.

However, despite this being the normally recognized dry season, things have been even drier than usual since the start of the year. The lack of measurable rainfall has been blamed on a continuous flow of cold air from the north and drier air across the coastal portion of the Southeast. These factors have worked together to mitigate the flow of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico across the peninsula.

How dry has it been? Orlando typically picks up a little less than 9 inches of rain from the period between January 1 and April 15. The Magic City has only measured about 4 inches of rain during this time this year. The trend has become even drier in recent weeks. For example, Orlando has only seen a few tenths of an inch of rain thus far in April.

It has been just as dry on the coast. The beach town of Daytona Beach has picked up a mere 0.02 of an inch of rain since the start of April. This translates to just 1% of the average amount of rainfall for April, despite the month now being half over.

The exception to this dry weather has been across the Florida Panhandle. This region of the state has seen more regular bouts of rainfall this winter and early spring, much to the chagrin of Spring Breakers hoping to enjoy the beaches along the Emerald Coast.

While the dry weather pattern has been welcomed by most tourists hoping to catch some sun, it is bad news for the agricultural interests in the state. Water demands have also soared over the last few months as conditions trend well drier than the historical average on a statewide basis.