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Florida Average Rainfall-
Florida is split into two climatic zones: warm temperate in the north and
tropical in the south. That said, most of the state experiences warm weather and
plenty of sunshine year round. Being tropical, the period from late spring to
early autumn does tend to see a lot of rainfall which can occur on an almost
daily basis. However, this rainfall generally arrives in the form of a
thunderstorm, which can appear out of the blue on a clear day, only to disappear
again an hour or so later. In winter, the weather stays warm, but is generally a lot drier. Snow is a very
rare occurrence in Florida, although has been known to occur in the Panhandle in
the north of the state.Florida Average Temperatures-
Summers throughout the state are long, warm, and fairly humid. Winters are mild
with periodic invasions of cool to occasionally cold air. Coastal areas in all
sections of Florida average slightly warmer temperatures in winter and cooler
ones in summer. The primary factors affecting the state's climate are latitude and numerous
inland lakes. Proximity to the currents of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of
Mexico also plays an important role. The best months temperature-wise are
November through April, which is probably why so many “snowbirds” are
down here during that time. Although southern Florida is 400 miles
closer to the tropics than northern Florida, it doesn't feel like it
because of the prevailing sea breeze. Southern Florida is one of the
warmest places on the United States mainland in winter. The highest
recorded temperature was 109 degrees at Monticello, in Florida's
Panhandle, on June 29, 1931. The lowest recorded temperature was 2
degrees below zero at Tallahassee on February 13, 1899.
Florida's humid climate is attributed to the fact that no point in the state is
more than 60 miles from salt water, and no more than 345 feet above sea level.
Humidity is the degree of wetness or dryness of the air and is measured by a
percentage ratio called "relative humidity." The warmer the air becomes, the
more moisture it can hold, therefore, a person can feel the humidity on a warm
day with 80 percent humidity than on a cold day with the same humidity. This heat index chart determines how hot the weather feels on
a given day. The chart combines Fahrenheit air temperature and relative
humidity.Hurricane Strikes-
The
number of hurricanes that made landfall in Florida each year between
1900 and 1998. El Niño years are indicated in red, neutral years are
shown in green and La Niña years are indicated in blue A "landfalling"
hurricane is defined as a storm that made at least one Florida, Gulf
Coast, or East Coast landfall with winds greater than or equal to 64 kts.
For further information on Florida, you may want to purchase a book from our Florida Nature Library. Don't miss our "Nature Videos" slideshow set to music!