For some, Florida drought is getting very "extreme"

[SubTropicRay]

[D. Morrowii]

.03 last night just enough to wet things down a little. I’m hoping this forecast is at least half right, looking forward to some rain!

[Eric in Orlando]

Finally some rain here the last 3 days and more coming. We went almost a month without a drop and not much before. It was getting very dry, luckily not many days above 90F yet or it would have been worse.  Now almost 4" the last couple of days. Yesterday 3 separate thunderstorms came through my house in Altamonte Springs. Its the summer pattern so I hope it stays. Forecast here through Tues shows 70-80% everyday. Maybe this pattern spreads over FL.

[kinzyjr]

The last two months have been really crappy.  The last 2 days were a total 180^o from it.  As @Eric in Orlando stated above, let's keep this trend rolling.

 

[Looking Glass]

We’ll see how tomorrow stacks up.  Rainfall forecasts for this area are pretty consistently way off.  

[SubTropicRay]

Ecstatic to have gotten almost 3" of rain over the weekend.  You inland folk should celebrate the 9000" you got last week 😝.  Then there's this daunting graphic on what's historically, the hottest time of the year.

[bubba]

We had a torrent of rain late yesterday. When I say rain, I mean the kind of rain that rolls like 3-5 inches in 15 minutes kind of rain.

Instead of coming in over Lake Okeechobee, it came from south of the Lake and headed in an easterly vector that defeated the ocean breeze. Not your normal deal and seemed monsoonal in nature.

[Looking Glass]

We ended up with a reported 1.9 inches over about 24 hours.  I measured the same amount at the house.  It was fairly light rain mostly.   

[SeanK]

Finally some good news for SoFL.

[kinzyjr]

Roughly 5 inches of rain here for the month.  A vast improvement over April.  Now to see what happens now that the rain event is over.  So far, it looks like back to regularly scheduled programming.

[SubTropicRay]

Some improvement with this map but the next 7-10 days look very hot and dry.  

[SeanK]

How is the drought severity defined? Is it deviation from average for the month? For the year?

[SubTropicRay]

[SubTropicRay]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

How is the drought severity defined? Is it deviation from average for the month? For the year?

Sean, from what I've read it's deviation from normal on a week to week basis and then cumulative.

[kinzyjr]

This is a good starting point: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/About/WhatistheUSDM.aspx

[SeanK]

I caught CH13 on my Roku this morning.

Showed some clouds but then said sunny all week, highs in the mid 80s. At the station break, it showed sun/clouds, highs low 90s. Not sure if one report was for Tampa and the other St Pete.

[kinzyjr]

At least here, it's near-record highs everyday and dry until at least Thursday:

 

[PhoenixFXG]

I have never seen my palms grow faster lol nighttime temps at above 70? 😍. My HOA pays for my lawn water though so it’s been regularly irrigated.

[SubTropicRay]

The rainy season is showing signs of showing up early 🤞

[SubTropicRay]

It's too early to get excited but the possibility is there.

 

[SeanK]

11 hours ago, SubTropicRay said:

It's too early to get excited but the possibility is there.

 

I saw CH9. The rain seems mostly US27 and east.

[SubTropicRay]

Contrary to what you might think, I'd love to never revisit this topic again.  Like west coast of Florida hurricanes however, I think it's a new reality.  Drought here will never die.  It's been hot and bone dry with the exception of one rain 2-3 weeks ago.   A summer just like 2023 is shaping up.

[flplantguy]

56 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

Contrary to what you might think, I'd love to never revisit this topic again.  Like west coast of Florida hurricanes however, I think it's a new reality.  Drought here will never die.  It's been hot and bone dry with the exception of one rain 2-3 weeks ago.   A summer just like 2023 is shaping up.

I am dreading the same thing and hoping im wrong since its still only May. Even my drought tolerant stuff is barely static, and not much growth is happening. Im dumbfounded there is a forest here at all and not just sand with it so dry so often.

[Looking Glass]

We’ve gotten into what wants to be a wet season pattern, minus the rain, down here.  Most evenings clouds roll in and it darkens up like it’s going to rain, but nothing much yet.  I never really cared about rain when I lived in the condo for a decade, but now at the house, with all the plants, I’m obsessed with it, or the lack of it.   

Many years, it seems like the only significant water we get comes from hurricanes, and almost hurricanes, brushing by….   Tons all at once, then nothing for long periods.   The “rainy season” always seems to come late, and much after we needed it, and often it’s not that rainy after all.  The thing that struck me about Florida, when I first moved down here 15+ years ago, was how dry and yellow it was.   

Right now the heat and sun are beating us up.  Irrigation can only do so much.   It’s like life support, waiting for recovery.   Things are frying right now.  Those hurricanes and tropical storms are essential here, but a direct hit is certainly no fun.     
 

 

[Looking Glass]

We got one, we got one!!!   …Quick, hard evening downpour.  

[SeanK]

Seems even the plants know the difference between a hose and a downpour.

[Looking Glass]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

Seems even the plants know the difference between a hose and a downpour.

I bet they do.  My water comes out pee-colored with a pH around 9, which seems crazy.  Not the best for most plants.  Nothing can replace a full deep soak with a pH of ~5+.  

[SeanK]

Looks like the I4 corridor is getting a little rain this morning. ☔ 

[kinzyjr]

The two stations in the yard measured between 6.75in and 7.75in of rain for the month of May.  Let's cross our fingers that rain is regular and copious this year, and comes without any of the destruction we've seen from major storms.

[SubTropicRay]

2" of rain in the last few days has improved the situation locally.

[sonoranfans]

3.5" in last 3 days, sunny with few clouds today.  Everything brightened up in local landscapes, as we have had a dry spring.  Best time of year for planting here, IMO.

[Looking Glass]

It’s been consistently rainy here for about 5 days now.  Mostly a light constant sprinkle, but a couple downpours and breaks mixed in.   Totaled about 4 inches or so at the house.  Enough to really soak everything deep down, and help with the drought.   Should continue through tomorrow afternoon.  

 

[kinzyjr]

2 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

It’s been consistently rainy here for about 5 days now.  Mostly a light constant sprinkle, but a couple downpours and breaks mixed in.   Totaled about 4 inches or so at the house.  Enough to really soak everything deep down, and help with the drought.   Should continue through tomorrow afternoon.  

It would sure be nice if more of it was onshore. 🤞

[SubTropicRay]

Got another half inch last night with more expected today.  The NWS discussion is also mentioning another wet pattern possible early next week.

[sonoranfans]

Getting hit good again, hard rain for the last 2 hrs a little lighter just now.  Local weather says over 1" today.  As I write this the rain has intensified significantly again.  This is palm heaven for most species in my yard.  All those hurrican milton damaged palms are perking up quite a bit.

[SubTropicRay]

some improvement

[SeanK]

West coast, Spring Hill and south getting a little this evening.

[SubTropicRay]

I've had 4 inches of rain this week.  Let's keep it going.