Absolute lows versus average lows

[Zeeth]

Doing some research, I noticed some weird things. Anna Maria, Fl (close to me, zip 34216) received it's lowest ever recorded temperature of 22F December 1962, While Ft. Lauderdale (zip 33309) received a temperature of 21F on February 1995. These 2 areas received the same amount of months with absolute lows in the 20's (3 each), 30's (2 each), Ft. Lauderdale received one more month with a low in the 40's (They had one in June!). Looking at these temps, Ft. Lauderdale appears much colder than a town in Manatee county! The averages are different though, with winter averages being about 4-5 degrees Fahrenheit colder in Anna Maria, and about those of Port Saint Lucie. Coconuts do grow abundantly in Anna Maria, but I think they fruit better in Ft. Lauderdale, as I've been on multiple hours long bike rides in Anna Maria, and only came back with 4 viable coconuts.

Costal influence becomes evident when one looks only a while inland, as Ellenton, Fl has much lower lows and average lows about 5 degrees lower than Anna Maria. Coconuts also are much more chancy here, and dwarf types often die in winters. This is the reason for my search for the tall types, because I think they are the only types that can withstand out freak temperature drops.

Links for everything I've found:

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatolo...mnav_undeclared

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatolo...mnav_undeclared

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatolo...mnav_undeclared

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatolo...mnav_undeclared

[SubTropicRay]

Keith,

It doesn't surprise that Anna Maria rivals areas further south for winter warmth. It is however an anomaly as it benefits from an extremely beneficial microclimate. It is on a very narrow strip of land that bends away from the coastline and cool winds are greatly modified by the martime conditions. In essence, the land acts more as if it were part of the surrounding body of water. Add to this the fact that is sits due south of Tampa Bay and cold north winds are modified as they pass over the warmer water. Pine Island enjoys the same microclimate benefits because of its geographical position relative to Charlotte Harbor. That's a big reason I plant to live there sooner than later.

Ray

[Zeeth]

Keith,

It doesn't surprise that Anna Maria rivals areas further south for winter warmth. It is however an anomaly as it benefits from an extremely beneficial microclimate. It is on a very narrow strip of land that bends away from the coastline and cool winds are greatly modified by the martime conditions. In essence, the land acts more as if it were part of the surrounding body of water. Add to this the fact that is sits due south of Tampa Bay and cold north winds are modified as they pass over the warmer water. Pine Island enjoys the same microclimate benefits because of its geographical position relative to Charlotte Harbor. That's a big reason I plant to live there sooner than later.

Ray

I would love to live either on Anna Maria or Snead island, which is close to both the gulf and the Manatee river. More land is available on Snead island though, some in the size of 1-2 acres. Then I wouldn't have to worry about my coconuts at all! My dream is to have a nice big yard with 2 tall coconuts like the ones at Kopsick with a hammock between them!

I am interested in this microclimate effect. I would be interested in finding out how to devise a nice microclimate here to create something like what Anna Maria has.

[SubTropicRay]

It's a little farther south but there's plenty of land on Pine Island for sale. The Tall Cocos are everywhere there.

[Zeeth]

It's a little farther south but there's plenty of land on Pine Island for sale. The Tall Cocos are everywhere there.

I'll definitely look into it when I buy a house for myself. Right now I am in my last year of high school, and I have 4 years of college and 4 years of med school before I buy a house for myself, so hopefully I can get to areas like these before I get to that point. Luckily, the housing crash is at it's lowest point, so we have a number of years before people start snatching up land again.

Edit: I was doing a street view for pine island, it looks a lot like north port, very uninhabited! I ended up at a street called "easy street" and laughed at the irony, whoever lives there must be on easy street! Pun intended

Edited November 21, 2009 by Zeeth

[SubTropicRay]

The term uninhabited island should be considered an oxymoron in this state. Go check it out when you have some time. We could be neighbors one day.

[Zeeth]

The term uninhabited island should be considered an oxymoron in this state. Go check it out when you have some time. We could be neighbors one day.

How true that is. I'm just going off of a google street view of a few streets, so I'm just going off of what I saw.

I'll definitely check it out when I get the chance. Is the property there very expensive? Do you know the average price for say, 1-2 acres of empty land? I know that the prices of property on Anna Maria are through the roof, and people there with more than an acre are either really lucky or really rich!

[Mark_NoVA]

I once plotted local daily record low and average low temperatures on a graph. The average low temperatures were a smooth curve, but the record low temps were scattered all over the place, making them look fairly arbitrary. So I would think that here on the U.S. East Coast, with our Arctic cold blasts, record low temperatures aren't a really reliable indicator for comparing climates.

[bubba]

Zeeth, I checked Ft. Lauderdale records for Feb.1995 and did not see anything close to 21F. The record I found for Ft. Lauderdale occurred on the same date as Miami and West Palm on Jan. 19,1977. In respective order, 28F(Ft. Laud),30F(Miami/also 1857) and 27F(WP).

That stated, there are numerous discrepancies in these numbers and that has been recognized by NOAA. I am not certain I would put my faith in Weather Channel Zip Code reports.

The real question is what grows and how well. The Gulf West coast micro-climates clearly exist and are recognizable by the tropical nature of the Palms and foliage. In it's explanation of the several degrees difference between East Coast and West Gulf minimums, "The Climate and Weather of Florida" states it is the result of two factors (1)The Atlantic Ocean and particularly the Gulf Stream, which is several degrees warmer than the Gulf of Mexico and(2)the very cold air masses that produce the minimum temperatures in the state come predominantly from the Northwest. Hence, you have Ft. Meyers at a lower latitude than West Palm with a minimum of 24 F. compared to 27 F at West Palm.

The Gulf West Coast is one of the last laid back not over-run areas of the State. It may not be as warm as the Florida East coast but who cares?

[Zeeth]

Zeeth, I checked Ft. Lauderdale records for Feb.1995 and did not see anything close to 21F. The record I found for Ft. Lauderdale occurred on the same date as Miami and West Palm on Jan. 19,1977. In respective order, 28F(Ft. Laud),30F(Miami/also 1857) and 27F(WP).

That stated, there are numerous discrepancies in these numbers and that has been recognized by NOAA. I am not certain I would put my faith in Weather Channel Zip Code reports.

The real question is what grows and how well. The Gulf West coast micro-climates clearly exist and are recognizable by the tropical nature of the Palms and foliage. In it's explanation of the several degrees difference between East Coast and West Gulf minimums, "The Climate and Weather of Florida" states it is the result of two factors (1)The Atlantic Ocean and particularly the Gulf Stream, which is several degrees warmer than the Gulf of Mexico and(2)the very cold air masses that produce the minimum temperatures in the state come predominantly from the Northwest. Hence, you have Ft. Meyers at a lower latitude than West Palm with a minimum of 24 F. compared to 27 F at West Palm.

The Gulf West Coast is one of the last laid back not over-run areas of the State. It may not be as warm as the Florida East coast but who cares?

It is true that weather channel zip code reports may not be 100% accurate, but they give the general idea.

I like living on the west coast, but sometimes I am upset by not being able to grow things that people on the east and more north can. Melbourne is much more north than Bradenton, but they can grow coconuts more easily and more inland than us. I lived in Ft. Lauderdale for a while though, and I can say it's more peaceful here at least, so I think I'd rather live here. The exception would be Cooper City, which was hands down the nicest place I've ever been in my life, but at the time we didn't have enough money to get a house in there, as rent was twice what it is in neighboring Davie and Plantation. There were some much older, not as nice places in there, but the nice areas were just breathtaking.

[SubTropicRay]

LOL..warmer is a relative term. At 45F in West Palm and 43 in Ft. Myers, I'd be wearing a jacket in either place and my Sealing wax Palm would likely be dead in both places. The SE Florida coast is warmer than SW but not significant enough to allow a clear distinction between what will grow and what will not. You see a street in West Palm and the plants from that location could be happily transposed (beam me up Scottie) to Ft. Myers. Analyzing the difference between the "2" climates is otherwise known as splitting hairs.

[bubba]

Ray, Cogitating and I think your point is well taken. When you consider what is growing at Thomas Edison's residence, the difference between West and East is miniscule.

[buzzmonkey]

Yeah, 21 degrees in Ft. Lauderdale in 1995 is not even close to accurate. It hasn't even come close to freezing since 1989. The lower east coast is significantly warmer than the west coast, owing in part to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The daily lows here are pretty much always a good bit warmer than in Naples during winter, and the two cities are at basically the same latitude.

I grew up in St. Petersburg and southern Sarasota County, and the temperature difference during the winter months between SE FL and the middle west coast are really pretty dramatic. When I visit my family in St. Petersburg I'm always amazed by the drop in temps, often a good 10-15 degrees cooler there than here.

[buzzmonkey]

Any 40's in June??? The record low for June in FTL is 60, which is still pretty hard to imagine. And only once were temps in the 20s recorded. I have a feeling there was a database error going on there.

[Zeeth]

Any 40's in June??? The record low for June in FTL is 60, which is still pretty hard to imagine. And only once were temps in the 20s recorded. I have a feeling there was a database error going on there.

True, could have been a database error.