For some, Florida drought is getting very "extreme"

[PalmatierMeg]

Got enough rain from Idalia (late Aug.) to bring monthly rain total close to avg for August.

However........ Since Aug 31, we have received measurable rain totals of 0.00" as of 1:29 p.m Sep 12 at our little Paradise. In layman's terms that's zilch, nada, bupkiss

But I'll hold that thought. I just heard a series of thunder cracks and the sound of raindrops. The beloved and ever precise Accuweather tells me rain will fall until 1:45 p.m. Will we be able to make up 2 weeks of rainfall in 16 minutes? The clock is ticking.

[PalmatierMeg]

Got a 25 minute gully washer, or what passes for a gully in coastal SWFL (how deep can a gully be at 15' elevation?)  Got 1/2"

So, as of 9/12 we have received a grand total of 0.5" of rain in September. Rainy season enters its final 3-4 weeks. Then the spigot turns off and rainy season 2023, such as it was, fades into oblivion and we look forward to 7-8 months of dry season. And people believe the FL climate is year-round benign-ness. Highs should have plunged to 90F by now but today was 94F until the rain came.

[Looking Glass]

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Got a 25 minute gully washer, or what passes for a gully in coastal SWFL (how deep can a gully be at 15' elevation?)  Got 1/2"

So, as of 9/12 we have received a grand total of 0.5" of rain in September. Rainy season enters its final 3-4 weeks. Then the spigot turns off and rainy season 2023, such as it was, fades into oblivion and we look forward to 7-8 months of dry season. And people believe the FL climate is year-round benign-ness. Highs should have plunged to 90F by now but today was 94F until the rain came.

We got a lot of rain on this side, this year, but it’s fading now.  I find myself hand watering and irrigating again after being spoiled by a shade under 80 inches so far this year.  We’ve reached the part of the year where I’m ready for milder temps though.  It’s going on about 7 months of the daytime 90s….  It time to tone down the brutality for a few months.  

[kinzyjr]

Thus far in September, 1.05 inches of rain.  1 inch of that total fell on September 1st.  The last two nights have been lots of thunder and lightning, but no payoff pitch.  All but one day has been over 90F, but that will be changing relatively soon.

[SubTropicRay]

[D. Morrowii]

We got 1” here on the 8th and 3/4” last night. A few other micro events has the total for September up to 2” so the same as August but in 1/3rd the time. Hopefully September is wetter than August was

[SubTropicRay]

More of the same garbage....

[kinzyjr]

9 hours ago, SubTropicRay said:

More of the same garbage....

Might as well write off 2023 in regard to consistent precipitation.  There have been at least 15 days at this point where the NWS forecast for rain was >= 50% and not a drop fell here.  Where I'm at, it's been better than more coastal areas with sandy soil, but far from what's needed to keep everything happy.

Another two months and it will be time to start watching for buckles in the jet stream instead.

[SubTropicRay]

13 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Might as well write off 2023 in regard to consistent precipitation.  There have been at least 15 days at this point where the NWS forecast for rain was >= 50% and not a drop fell here.  Where I'm at, it's been better than more coastal areas with sandy soil, but far from what's needed to keep everything happy.

Another two months and it will be time to start watching for buckles in the jet stream instead.

2023 was written off about 2 months ago.  With the rainy season ending and a persistent drought in place, let's see if we can get the entire west central and SW coast into the exceptional drought category.

[PalmatierMeg]

Now halfway through Sep and we have received a total monthly rainfall of 0.5” in a 25-minute shower on 9/12. Beyond insane and sublime and on a par with the driest of dry seasons. Dawn to dusk blazing sun and highs of 94 and up. By now our daily highs should have tanked down to 89/90F.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\and up each day. By now our highs should have tanked to 89/90F

[flplantguy]

Ready for the driest and hottest summer ever to end too.  I'm itching to do heavy work outside and until it's cooler I will wait. I miss the drizzly days we sometimes get that are perfect for working outside.  Not one day this year was like that, only desperate downpours that the heat blasted away right after.  It was like a summer in the desert with only sporadic monsoon storms you can't really count on. Native grass is dead again and the trees look stressed again too.

[PalmatierMeg]

We are now nearly 2/3rds through September and our rainfall total for the month = 0.5”

Zilch, nada, nicht since the 25-minute shower last week, which was the first/only measurable rain since Hurricane Italia in late August.  Horizon to horizon sunshine nearly every day and daytime temps still hitting mid-90s+. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Got 3/10” in a 15 minute shower about 5 p.m. Sun is blazing away now. 

[kinzyjr]

After a few stray showers, up to a grand total of 2" of rain for the month.

[Jimbean]

[PalmatierMeg]

Rainfall total through Sep 18 = 0.8”

Rainfall on 9/19 = 1.2”

Monthly Sep rainfall as of 9/20 = 2.0”

Good times

[kinzyjr]

Ended up nearly doubling the monthly total today - somewhere between 3.75 and 4 inches for the month now.  Perhaps with another well-timed storm or two, we'll salvage some growth before things start slowing down.  Decent chance of rain the next couple of days with highs finally below the 90F mark at the airport:

[SubTropicRay]

It's a conspiracy.....Notice the west coast of Florida  

[Looking Glass]

6 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

It's a conspiracy.....Notice the west coast of Florida  

Jesus, you guys can’t catch a break.   You have to love Florida weather patterns sometimes…. “We got our monthly average of rain….   In one day….  Poured into our pure sand….”  Proceeded and followed by 45 days of blazing sun and heat.  

Drought tolerance and also deluge tolerance is a tough combo to find in palms sometimes.  (Enter Native, Cuban and Carribean palms)

[PalmatierMeg]

Got 0.4" more rain overnight. Current monthly total as of 9/21 = 2.4"

And it's the fall equinox today. I can tell because at noon the temp has soared only to 84F. Long term forecasts indicate this coming dry season will be wet instead. Thanks for nothing.

[flplantguy]

I'm at 1.34 inches this month and the cooldown is trying to start.  Yet the forecast shows major changes and rains coming.  The fourth time at least this has happened, so I'm sure it will drop again to low chances day of.  All that PVC irrigation pipe is going to be expensive lol.

[PalmatierMeg]

Got another 0.3" rain on Thurs. Nada on Fri. and zilch on Sat. Now Sep rainfall = 2.7"

Was supposed to get nada today, but lo! I hear thunder and raindrops.

The prior dry two days definitely had the "feel" of fall SWFL style. Temps in the mid- to upper-80s instead of 90s. Nights are still in mid-70s but with reduced swelter. Once nights drop below 70F to stay (around Oct 15-20) the rainy season faucet snaps shut like turning off a light. Bizarre but true.

[D. Morrowii]

Nudged up to 3.9” for the month here. Already twice the rain we got in August. It’ll be interesting to see if we make our 50” average over here this year. 11.5” to go. 
 

How far from the yearly average is the drought zone at the moment? 

[SubTropicRay]

11 hours ago, D. Morrowii said:

Nudged up to 3.9” for the month here. Already twice the rain we got in August. It’ll be interesting to see if we make our 50” average over here this year. 11.5” to go. 
 

How far from the yearly average is the drought zone at the moment? 

My normal is 50" a year and we are at 27" locally.

[SubTropicRay]

[D. Morrowii]

2 hours ago, SubTropicRay said:

My normal is 50" a year and we are at 27" locally.

Not good, chances of your area getting 23” before the end of the year is pretty unlikely. Not that getting a bunch of rain in the cooler months would be that great anyway. 

lets hope we all get at least one good soaking out of this next event. 

[flplantguy]

One last try but I'm feeling jaded about it lol

[PalmatierMeg]

Got unforecasted 0.2” overnight. Up to 2.9” for Sep

[SubTropicRay]

There was a 70% rain chance today and it did drizzle for 30 seconds.  Meanwhile, many inland and areas east got drenched again.  I have figured it out though.  If you get at least one rain drop, the daily rain chance predicted was fulfilled.  So if I get one rain drop each day for the next week, the daily 60-80% rain chance forecasted was correct.

[Steve the palmreader]

We had about 3 inches the past week down here

[PalmatierMeg]

Got a staggering 0.8" last night. Haven't had that much rain in one storm for..........weeks?

September total = 3.7"

4-1/2 days left to triple? quadruple? Fizzle? that total in SWFL's rainfall lottery

[JLM]

I know we dont have a wet or dry season up here technically, but man can we get SOMETHING? Havent even had an inch of rain this month, mind you it is now the 26th. Given that i havent had much time to really do anything, i lost both of my livistona chinensis and almost lost one of my washy seedlings. I also lost the foxtail that was doing weird growth point things. My majesty is struggling and so are the rest of my washy seedlings. We have some rain chances today thru Thursday so im hoping we can get up to at least an inch of rain for the month in the next 3 days.

[SubTropicRay]

The NWS said extra clouds prevented storm formation yesterday.  There's always something.  When it did finally get going, it rained inland and on the east coast (SHOCKER!).  More of the same hyped rain chances for the rest of the work week.  It's garbage. 

[SeanK]

Looking at <Ventusky.com> my weather app, looks like North Port to Everglades City getting showers this morning.

[sonoranfans]

I have not been able to trust the local rain reports, they are too far away I guess.  Ellenton was reported at 0.1" a couple days ago overnight but we got soaked pretty good with some standing water after it fell.  Last 15 days have had 3 noticeable rains that fell hard enough to make pretty good noise on the roof and accumulate a shallow puddle in the backyard.  Everything is happy, just a light spray this morning but between condensation and the spray everything is wet and its currently 81F low was 76F.  It helps, but not so much I have turned off my irrigation timer at any time this year.  one summer 4 years(?) ago I turned it off for all of august and parts of july.  Yeah looks like cape coral north port etc are getting hammered now by radat.

[kinzyjr]

Now sitting at a month's worth of days with >50% chance of rain from NWS with no measurable rainfall.  Definitely not as bad off as some locales in from Tampa and further south, but still perplexing.  As far off as the forecasts have been, it wouldn't surprise me to go to bed this winter with a forecast low of 37F and wake up to 23F with an inch of snow on the ground.

[flplantguy]

I'm getting rain but it's pathetic amounts.  Today was wonderful with the clouds though in spite of four hundredths of an inch.  I'm not taking chances this winter with my new plants (for many reasons) but I hope the forecast of wetter than average (within reason) and not too cold holds true.  I'm dreading a 2010 on steroids though with the blocking patterns this year.

[Looking Glass]

It’s the opposite issue in the southeast area.   We had a break on this side for a little bit, but the rain came back.  Pretty heavy 1-2x per day usually afternoon through overnight.  It’s very anomalous weather.  Normally this time of year, we’d be grazed by a few hurricanes for some concentrated heavy rains, then dry out, but instead it’s just consistent rain every day.   Too often at this point.  I’m guessing we might hit 100+ inches this year if this keeps up.   I’m worried about rot in a lot of things like bromeliads and the drought tolerant stuff.  

[D. Morrowii]

We’ve seen big storms all around us here over the last couple of days but no soakers at my place. Its mostly been a tenth in the morning and a tenth in the afternoon kind of thing which is better than nothing. The problem is if I flip over some mulch its almost completely dry underneath. Closing in on 5” for the month though.

[SeanK]

1 hour ago, D. Morrowii said:

We’ve seen big storms all around us here over the last couple of days but no soakers at my place. Its mostly been a tenth in the morning and a tenth in the afternoon kind of thing which is better than nothing. The problem is if I flip over some mulch its almost completely dry underneath. Closing in on 5” for the month though.

Five inches for the month is pretty good. Is it evaporating on the mulch?