INCREDIBLY wet August, Bone dry Sept

[gsytch]

After over 21" of rain in August, where nary a day went by without a downpour or deluge, Sept has been bone dry! Except for a few showers, nothing - nana - nada - no rainfall to speak of. If the ground under a tree is not wet, it doesnt count! Logged .10" that is 1/10 of an inch despite daily 90+ heat and mostly clear skies. Humidity has been moderate, but that also is drying. The palms are growing better now that it is drier. Everything is. I can see Bromeliads saying "thank you" to drier roots. Unfortunately, it is getting too dry because the non-likeitdrystuff (like that?) is not happy anymore!I am starting to see weeds wilt some now. Who'da thunk it a month ago? Oh well, hurricanes in the Atlantic just dry us out but good. Me thinks the rainy season is done! :-(( Greg

[JASON M]

Last night it was really really really really storming here. I kept getting woken up because of all those lightning flashes. And I saw the bolts themselves so they couldn't be ethat far away. Very cool/scary.

[PalmatierMeg]

Greg, I'm thinking the same thing: rainy season is on the way out early. Nights here are falling to 72. Once nights fall below 70 summer and humidity are things of the past. Also, the wind has picked up a bunch. Winters are always windy and dry. And days are getting so short the ground has less time to heat up. Gulf is still 88 but that won't last long. Is the end of hurrican season in sight?

[SubTropicRay]

Meg, the rainy season already left town. With a La Nina kicking in, I fear we're heading into another drought. Did we ever make it out of the last one? The "rainy" season keeps getting shorter and shorter. When was the last time the rainy season exceeded expectations?

[velutina]

It rained this month for the first time since April. The total was 0.01"

I would be shocked if the total for the entire year (so far) is over 1"

I can't comprehend getting 21" in a single month!!

[gsytch]

It just poured day after day here in August. I mean deluges!I had a plastic wheelbarrel fill with rainwater in 4 days. Straight up rain gauge there. Now, .06" official TOTAL for September. There have been showers and storms here or there, but other than one 3 minute heavy shower, that has been it. Now even the weeds are wilting! Total for July was a nice 9" but June was less than 2.5" and May saw less than an inch. Can you say seasonal monsoon? I just was out watering....no,not the weeds.....but lord it is getting dry. Dewpoint has fallen below 68F a few times with the hurricanes in the ocean. Nice, comfortable weather with highs just shy of 90F but humidity has been 40-50% afternoon and breezes = DRY. Oh well, the "rainy" season is over. A nice, weak Tropical Storm would be nice...I said WEAK! From the other coast! Yes, RAY....in 22+ years here the rainy season starts late June and finishes early Sept. Oh well, up goes the water bill! Greg

[SubTropicRay]

The rainy season used to start in the final days of May and last right up to October 1st. Then again, 25 or 26F was nearly a yearly occurrence then too. Some things are better now.

[gsytch]

Yes, I guess you do win some but the past year has been BIZARRE~ record cold, record heat, record rains, long, hot dry periods in between. It used to be a little more stable, too. Oh well, watch the so caribbean the next week....just sayin............

[palmsOrl]

Same story here in Orlando. There used to be a reliable 4 month rainy season with deluges nearly every day, but as you said Ray, yearly mid 20s were a given. Now, the winter absolute minimum temperature for an exceptionally cold winter (2009-2010) at the Orlando Executive Airport downtown is 29 F. Miami has seen colder than that! I think night-time lows in the summer have also come up on average.

-Michael

[gsytch]

Michael- This summer, the nights were awful! I swear, we went weeks and never saw below 80F. I remember thinking in August how hot the nights have been, and sure enough the NWS in Tampa said the 2nd hottest summer primarily due to high overnight temps. But, less than 1/10th of an inch of rain in Sept? 21" IN August? These are incredible pattern swings. Oh well, winter is coming and we pray it is nothing like last year! That was too much!

[SubTropicRay]

A freeze is always a possibility but a 12 day stretch of cold is very unlikely for another 30 years. 1976-1977 was the last winter to have sustaining cold temps.

[gsytch]

Its so frustrating...another day of thunder....another day the radar lights up...I was outside watering, again, with thunder so loud that I was unsure I should be there. Result=ZERO rainfall. 27 days and counting without measurable rainfall. That's Floriduh!

[velutina]

That must be frustrating when you have a yard full of plants that like regular water. Most people here just do desert landscaping with no grass. There are quite a few houses in my neighborhood that have no plants at all (basically a rock garden).

[gsytch]

yes, very frustrating. They were putting out urban flood advisories for counties around me, yet I had to water, again. The past week has seen the same pattern - dying near me - rains everywhere else. Argh!

[velutina]

Does it typically rain in small patches there? When I lived in Salt Lake, it would rain over the entire city. In Las Vegas, it usually rains in small patches. There was flooding in an area 10 minutes from my house, but never a drop here.

Also, how often do you use supplemental water in the garden? The idea of not needing to water seems foreign to me. Almost every plant I grow needs irrigation (even the drought tolerant ones). The only plants not on the drip system are cacti.

All the gardens I see from Florida seem pretty lush. I wouldn't mind moving there someday. Any complaints on the climate there?

[gsytch]

We water all the time. Our sandy soil holds little moisture. Yes, everything is lush but we go through too many dry periods. 28 days and waiting for measurable rain...there were a few BRIEF drops here and there.....92F again today and the sun is still hot! Climate: OK. The freezes we do get just ruin years of growth, but it all recovers. G~

[gsytch]

AND.....last night, after missing the evening storms, a plume of moisture hit just at bedtime around 10pm. POW! 1 1/2 inches of rain in an hour with lots of explosive lightning and thunder (and my dog barking)....I should of fertilized! Oh well, they are predicting a wetter week. Fingers crossed....Greg

[SubTropicRay]

20 days and counting without measurable rain here. The airport's montly total should be approaching 6.5" by now but has a mere 1.01" as of September 28. If we don't get rain today with this front, the "drier" air (how is that possible?) moves in for the weekend signaling the official end of the rainy season. For me, it already ended about 3 weeks ago.

[SubTropicRay]

Since you've now gotten rain in New Port Richey, I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread. With the forecast I saw tonight, wanna bet I can top your 28 day record??

I got a whopping trace today. Make it 21 days and counting without measurable rain.

[Moose]

Since you've now gotten rain in New Port Richey, I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread. With the forecast I saw tonight, wanna bet I can top your 28 day record??

I got a whopping trace today. Make it 21 days and counting without measurable rain.

Ray - I bet you can measure some rain today!

Ron.

[SubTropicRay]

Nope...here's the latest from the NWS.

"...UPDATED FORECAST TO LOWER IMPACTS ACROSS AREA....

IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL DEPRESSION 16 WILL BE MINIMAL ACROSS FORECAST

AREA AS THE MORE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF THE TRACK OF

THE LOW. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE GULF WILL BRING STORMS INTO THE

CEDAR KEY AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCES OF RAIN WILL BE AWAY

FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA. LOWERED RAIN CHANCE AND QPF TODAY/TONIGHT

AND DECREASED CLOUDS TONIGHT RATHER THAN TOMORROW."

I can see the number of consecutive rain-free days lasting well into the 50's.

[gsytch]

I got another 6/10" last evening but nada today...and yes, the rainy season has ended. But, with such extreme weather, who knows if the real, first cold front might bring some heavy storms? Make sense or wishful thinking. I am so sorry you missed it Ray. The radar made it seem like everyone was getting some. Ahhhh Floriduh!

[SubTropicRay]

So much for the streak. I went for a walk last night and got drenched on the way home. I didn't look at the gauge but figure .25" fell. It's not great but something is better than nothing. The mobile phone got ruined in the process.

[gsytch]

An absolutely beautiful, fall Floriduh day! Never went above 85F, clear, crisp blue sunny skies, breezes, low humidity. Ahhhhhhhhh what as nice time of year. Now, a nice mid-week drencher would be nice but that might be asking too much.

[SubTropicRay]

Now, a nice mid-week drencher would be nice but that might be asking too much.

That's funny. Don't hold your breath waiting for rain. Nice weather comes at a price. Go grab your watering hose cause mother nature really slacks off in October. The sudden lack of humidity also wreaks havoc on some plants. Watch out for a night in the 40's coming up here too in the next couple of weeks. This weather is wonderful but is always followed by temps I could do without.

Check the attached link for just how lousy September rain turned out.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/tbw/TopNews/PDF/Sep2010TempRain.pdf

[gsytch]

I saw thata, and it was our warm nights that led to the record warmth. Notice W Pasco is in the driest colored areas. If it wasnt for that odd, late evening thunderstorm toward Sept's end, it would have been almost zero rainfall. BUt, hearing thunder constantly for quite afew days was the most frustrating part. But, we live with that. Long term shows a gradual warming this week and then stable. No 40's. But, yes these winds and low humidity are quite drying. What a change from such a wet August! NOw, let winter be kind....

[SubTropicRay]

The next seven days show rebounding temps, higher humidity (both good) but no rain in sight.

[SunnyFl]

The next seven days show rebounding temps, higher humidity (both good) but no rain in sight.

Ray, yesterday morning, we had a low of 59. And there was something ugly on noaa-radio this morning, about "normally colder areas may see temps in the 40s." say what??

Anyway, no rain in the forecast, no PoPs...

It will be a dry winter, and I think, another long one.

[SubTropicRay]

Let's not act surprised folks, Tampa Bay and 40's in October go together like white and rice. Give the forecast some time and the one or two nights in the 40's will show up in the extended period. It's happened the last three years running and many other times in the past. Hopefully I'm wrong and we'll be spared this year.

[SubTropicRay]

Another 7 day forecast...another combined 0% rain chance for the entire week. Let's see if we can make it out of the entire month without rain. I wonder if these stupid weathermen will stop with the "another beautiful day to get out and do things" crap they spew every morning.

[gsytch]

Yes, no rain in sight at all. Mon AM it was 51F on campus in Hudson when I arrived, 57F at my house when I left. It rebounded nicely. Last week also saw a 50F morning up there. Brrrr so early. These tropical systems are sucking the juice out of our atmosphere, bringing down dry air. Sept had two rains, none for a 26 days spell. October nada. Zero. Do I smell watering restrictions coming up? Again? Oh well, it is fall. The prediction for winter is mild and dry. Let us hope it is not so dry!

[SubTropicRay]

Did you decide what morning we'll hit the beloved 40's? It's coming you know just give the forecast a few more days and it'll show up in the long term.

[gsytch]

Looks clear to me. Nothing cold, no rain, for the next week. It was 58F Sun AN but hit a nice 83F during the day...The LaNina drought is ON!!!!!!!!!

[Tampa Scott]

Last rain to fall at my house was on Sept 24. Year to date rainfall 38.2" (Normal rainfall year to date 37.3") . Thank goodness I am on reclaimed water for the sprinkler system at $10 a month for all I can use.

[SubTropicRay]

I wonder who's still enjoying the "pleasant" weather while everything dries up. I'll give up the pleasant-ness for some rain. FYI, since September 1, the airport is 7.17" below normal.

No 40's on the October radar yet but it may still sneak up on us.

[gsytch]

I have had nearly 48" of rain this year with 21" in August, almost 2" in Sept (one big rainfall) and ZERO for October. The prediction for this winter is warmer and drier. Drier than this? OMG we are in trouble!

[SubTropicRay]

Watch potentially for those 40's we've been mentioning in the October 29-31 time frame. The Weather Channel now has 40-60% rain chances around the 27th and 28th so you know the cooler/colder stuff comes after the rain.

[gsytch]

Ive seen the extended and it is not as cold at that right now. Ive seen 79/55 but we always know, that could drop. I usually look at Atlanta and see what they predict for them to see how potent cold snaps can be, since that air comes from them! Let us just hope for rain!!!!!!!!

[SubTropicRay]

If Richard heads our way, he'll drive down some cooler/colder air once it passes to our northeast. I'll take it and some late October breezes if we get 5, 10 or 20 inches of rain.

[palmsOrl]

...AND October. It hasn't rained here in a month now. Since Richard isn't going to pay us a visit, there's no telling when we will finally get some rain. It's supposed to be 90 F on Tuesday, yuck!

-Michael