For some, Florida drought is getting very "extreme"

[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?

[D. Morrowii]

2 hours ago, SeanK said:

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

I agree no complaints for 5” of rain. It’s sort of insane to complain about the weather anyway isn't it 🙂? I think we had 2-3 solid rain events earlier in the month and if there is say .50 inch of rain then the ground gets pretty good and soaked. Even though .25 inch will almost fill my rain barrels it either isn’t enough or maybe doesnt get past the leaves? I was a bit surprised myself. 

[SeanK]

2 hours ago, D. Morrowii said:

I agree no complaints for 5” of rain. It’s sort of insane to complain about the weather anyway isn't it 🙂? I think we had 2-3 solid rain events earlier in the month and if there is say .50 inch of rain then the ground gets pretty good and soaked. Even though .25 inch will almost fill my rain barrels it either isn’t enough or maybe doesnt get past the leaves? I was a bit surprised myself. 

Mulching generally helps to regulate the flow of water into clay soils and helps keep them moist. However, if your rain is followed by 3 hours of 95° sun, maybe it just evaporates

[Silas_Sancona]

17 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Mulching generally helps to regulate the flow of water into clay soils and helps keep them moist. However, if your rain is followed by 3 hours of 95° sun, maybe it just evaporates

Aside from soil type / makeup,  post- rain event  evaporation rates can be highly dependant on humidity levels following said rain event.  Even after .50" of rain, the soil can still be moist 3 - 24 hours later  if  humidity levels are higher, even if air temps are in the upper 90's / low 100s at the same time. 

Drop the humidity levels to a dismal 10% the day after a rain event, and you'll suck the moisture out of the surface of the soil rather quickly ...Within a few days, even if the temperature only reaches 90F.

Note the  specific word i used in that sentence... ..Surface...  

Just because the first few inches of soil may dry fairly quickly, moisture content of the soil ..say between  14" - 3,  4, or 6ft  below,  where a majority of roots are,  is more important and, generally speaking,  ..regardless of soil type,  will generally dry at a slower rate.  Dig a 2-4ft deep hole in a wash that " looks " dry,  and you'll likely find that water pools in the hole created, even 2 or 3 weeks after a good storm, sometimes longer.

Even in FL, while the surface of the soil would dry pretty quickly following a rain event, esp. if humidity levels dropped to low levels ( ..Imo, 30% humidity  -at any time of the year-  is pretty low, -by Florida standards anyway )  i could dig down a foot or so and ..even my super sandy soil in Bradenton still had plenty of moisture in it.

Obviously, i'm talking warm season.. cooler temps in winter ~generally speaking~ = marked decrease in evaporation rates. 

That same .50" rain event in say December or Feb. can linger in the soil for ..about a week, possibly longer,  esp if air temps. are held in the upper 60s / low 70s, and humidity levels are ..reasonable.. 20-30% for instance  during that time..  regardless if the soil is quite sandy / gravely,  or contains more finite sand / silt grain sizes ..AKA:  sandy clay. 

 

[D. Morrowii]

Not too get too far off topic but the only reason I noticed this was that after it rains I usually like to take a look at the radar to see if its likely that more rain is coming or not and decide if I need to do some hand watering. Recently I started checking to see at what point the rain amount was enough that watering wasn't needed also at what point I could turn off the drip system. So I’m getting .18, .22 .25 or whatever and I’ll go outside a little while after the rain passes and although the top of the mulch is wet just a couple inches below that it is bone dry. So in other words the moisture wasn’t enough to saturate the areas beneath the palms. I’m sure after a couple hours some moisture will trickle down but there just doesn't seem to much available on top. So when its been really hot like it was the last couple months I’ll hand water even after I get .25” of rain. I’m on mostly sandy soil that drains pretty quickly but the water table is only 3-4 feet down. 

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, D. Morrowii said:

Not too get too far off topic but the only reason I noticed this was that after it rains I usually like to take a look at the radar to see if its likely that more rain is coming or not and decide if I need to do some hand watering. Recently I started checking to see at what point the rain amount was enough that watering wasn't needed also at what point I could turn off the drip system. So I’m getting .18, .22 .25 or whatever and I’ll go outside a little while after the rain passes and although the top of the mulch is wet just a couple inches below that it is bone dry. So in other words the moisture wasn’t enough to saturate the areas beneath the palms. I’m sure after a couple hours some moisture will trickle down but there just doesn't seem to much available on top. So when its been really hot like it was the last couple months I’ll hand water even after I get .25” of rain. I’m on mostly sandy soil that drains pretty quickly but the water table is only 3-4 feet down. 

I'd notice something similar in spots in the yard ( in Bradenton ) after a really light rain ..the 0.10 - say 0.40" total  kind of " shower " of your example..  Top few inches would dry out pretty quick, esp. if fully exposed to full sun.

Looking closer at the soil itself in those particular  spots,  i'd find that they were hydrophobic  This occurs here too also btw..  Anyway,  i found  letting weedy stuff cover those areas, then " chop and dropping " helped.  Since such a layer is often pretty thin, one could turn organics into the soil regularly to help break up that water -phobic layer too..

With wood mulch, it can trap ( or shed ) those waxes / water repellent compounds also, which means most of the water provided  esp. during those really light showers.. will just run off rather than effectively penetrate through that layer to the soil below.  ..That can occur here too if the duff layer below ...say a Mesquite  is pretty deep. I'd rake over such a layer below the tree at the old house frequently enough to keep that from occurring -as best as possible anyway.  Unlike woody material, that layer of leaves will eventually get pulled down into the soil where it would decompose better. Any water repelling compounds it might have accumulated would also be degraded during that process as well..

Unlike many areas in FL.  ..i think the closest ( to the surface ) our water table comes ..might be something like 30-40ft ..Probably much deeper, lol.  That said, certain trees  ( -Mesquite again, lol ) will actually pull water up to the surface from the aquifer during the hotter months, providing a source of moisture to it ..and anything growing in close proximity to them.

Some research papers out there too regarding how other dry climate trees may be able to draw moisture from weathered rock, rather than an aquifer when necessary.

As for potted stuff?  ..yea, lol.. at the time, i'd mentioned what a pain in the butt trying to keep stuff hydrated during the dry stretched before the rainy season was like a few times..  Not fun at all,   but,  i'd take that over what trying to accomplish the same goal, under the same hot / dry conditions can be like here.
 

[D. Morrowii]

The top layer could definitely be a bit Hydrophobic in some areas. I sometimes add bagged compost or top soil before I layer in the cypress mulch. I’ve noticed it can get a little “peaty” in some situations. It may help to just break up the mulch occasionally.  

[flplantguy]

Not a heck of a lot of rain here but the clouds have helped keep it moist anyway.  The plants seem to like it for the most part and I'm hoping it will help some of them spread roots past my irrigation emitters.  Anything in the open with no irrigation is dead in the driest part of the yard but that's all annual weeds anyway.  Prime planting space once I'm ready so for now brown is ok there but very odd for September.  The invasive crap in the back jungle is still manageable since it didn't downpour much this summer so that's getting cleaned up with the cooler weather. Found out my heart has issues with the heat now, so no more caffeine or working when it's too warm out. Luckily I like warmer weather in general so my "too hot" is past most people's preference.  Crossing my fingers for a benign winter of great gardening weather!

[JLM]

Got 0.01", bringing my monthly total up to 0.61" for the entire month of September. With no chance of rain for the next week, this will very likely be my final total for the month.


The newest drought monitor came out today, and confirmed what I already knew. The drought is worsening, NW FL is joining west central FL in their drought struggles.

[SubTropicRay]

For my area at least, the non-existent rainy season comes to a close Monday.  I can stop expecting the unexpected.

[kinzyjr]

About 0.4 inches of rain after dark.  Definitely needed it for some of the palms.  That puts this location at just over 4.25 inches of rain for the month.  A bit less than our 30-year average of 7.62 inches, but appreciated none the less.

[Bill H2DB]

   This week has basically had a semi-stationary front hanging over Central Fla.  . As it wavers back and to , various places in the area have received a good bit of rain .

  This week , I have measured 8.9" in my yard , and it is still raining some . 

   

[Bill H2DB]

  As of 9am today ( Oct. 1 2023 )  my total is at approx. 11.5" , and there's a continuing light rain .

Enough, already !

[Jimbean]

2 hours ago, Bill H2DB said:

  As of 9am today ( Oct. 1 2023 )  my total is at approx. 11.5" , and there's a continuing light rain .

Enough, already !

Same here.  We are way above average.  My backyard is partly flooded.  I'd give you guys on the west coast this rain if I could. 

[flplantguy]

And here it's a like a bad joke. 80% chance of rain means clouds.  I just want it to cool down enough to do all the heavy work needed for the yard, like digging trenches for irrigation lines.  The front yard is dead and has been for a couple weeks. Now that it's October maybe this joke of a rainy season can settle back into normal weather.  Too wet or too dry, I bet most of us just want it to cool down now.

[kinzyjr]

8 hours ago, Bill H2DB said:

As of 9am today ( Oct. 1 2023 )  my total is at approx. 11.5" , and there's a continuing light rain .

Enough, already !

Drove through the stationary front sitting over top of your area today.  It just doesn't quit there.

[SubTropicRay]

The Rainy season is OVA!!  Here's a summary

1. June - S--t

2. July - S--t

3. August - a little less S--t

4. September - More of the same S--t

And for my sour grapes East coasters, enjoy your mold, fungus and rot.

 

[Steve the palmreader]

2 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

The Rainy season is OVA!!  Here's a summary

1. June - S--t

2. July - S--t

3. August - a little less S--t

4. September - More of the same S--t

 

We received almost 2 inches yesterday evening. 

[D. Morrowii]

Well we ended up with almost 6.5” of rain yesterday. Pretty much caught up to our yearly average but I’m guessing most of what we got yesterday went into the lagoon. 

[flplantguy]

Ended September with 1.82 inches for the month.  This summer felt like a New Mexico monsoon season. Completely unreliable, and just enough to tease and grow weeds for a bit, way too hot and too short.  El nino please be gentle!

[kinzyjr]

At this point, at least the afternoon temperatures aren't near or over 100F.  Since it did rain a bit the last couple of days, I made sure to trap as much of it as possible in the two beds I modified with a thick layer of mulch. 

Annual total rainfall thus far is ~51 inches; normal from a statistical point of view here.  I think all of the dry days in between the deluges gave the advantage to the pests this year, though.  I've seen more mealy bugs, aphids, scale insects, leaf skeletonizer, and spider mites this year than all previous years combined.

 

[PalmatierMeg]

By my pitiful calculations looks like we got 5.9” for the month of September (2.2” in the final couple days). That’s about 1/2 average rainfall but more than June, July, August combined.

As for October:

10/1 = 0.5”

10/2 = nada

10/3 = zilch

About 12-14 more days before the rain spigot shuts off for the next 7 months (el Nino willing)

 

[kinzyjr]

It's supposed to cool off due to an approaching cold front in the coming days.  We'll see what happens and if anything changes with the weekend approaching.

https://weather.com/forecast/regional/video/big-change-in-temperatures-on-the-way

[SeanK]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:31 AM, D. Morrowii said:

Well we ended up with almost 6.5” of rain yesterday. Pretty much caught up to our yearly average but I’m guessing most of what we got yesterday went into the lagoon. 

You guys need rain barrels at the four corners of the house.

[SubTropicRay]

12 hours ago, SeanK said:

You guys need rain barrels at the four corners of the house.

I have 2 but they're nearly empty 😁

 

[D. Morrowii]

16 hours ago, SeanK said:

You guys need rain barrels at the four corners of the house.

I have 4 (240 gal cap) but I need 2 more to make watering easier. Even 350 gallons will only last a few days at best. It works well during rainy season….if it rains 🙂

[PalmatierMeg]

October rain summary to date:

10/01 = 0.5”

10/02 - 10/07 = nada x6

Statistical end of rainy season: ca. 10/15

Predicted rain chances: 10/08 = 10%; 10/09 = 11%; 10/10 = 22%; 10/11 = 46%; 10/12 = 96%; 10/13 = 74%; 10/14 = 69%;

10/15 = 2%; 10/16 = 0%; 10/17 = 1%; 10/18 = 1%; 10/19 = 1%

 

 

 

[SeanK]

This Wed/Thur (Oct 11-12) looks like rain may come through west side of Florida.

[SubTropicRay]

This will worsen before it gets better.

[SeanK]

Houston to N'orleans is much worse.

[SubTropicRay]

8 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Houston to N'orleans is much worse.

Yes but that does very little to ease the pain.  It's certainly a bigger area but locally, we're approaching the same levels.  I can see Exceptional drought here once November arrives. 

[SeanK]

20 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

Yes but that does very little to ease the pain.  It's certainly a bigger area but locally, we're approaching the same levels.  I can see Exceptional drought here once November arrives. 

Have short-term weather predictions been accurate?

[SubTropicRay]

 

[flplantguy]

40 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

 

Same lol

[SubTropicRay]

Whew.....a whopping .25" from the storm.  That's a far cry from the European model's prediction 3-6" for my area locally.  Nothing IS sometimes better than something.

[SubTropicRay]

The dry is growing....

[flplantguy]

0.75 inches here out of the forecast 4 or so.  It's October though so anything is better than nothing going into the dry season.  That may be what prevents a major fire somewhere if it keeps up. One can hope at least

[SeanK]

10 minutes ago, flplantguy said:

0.75 inches here out of the forecast 4 or so.  It's October though so anything is better than nothing going into the dry season.  That may be what prevents a major fire somewhere if it keeps up. One can hope at least

Even up my way, we got about 25% of the original prediction, 3-days out. You FL guys can take a deluge in that sand. This heavy red clay needs a long, slow drizzle for it to do much good.

[flplantguy]

It makes me wonder why they have been so far off all season.  Factoring in old climatology as habit maybe. "Well it's usually like this so blend the forecast" type thing🤷‍♂️

[SeanK]

A TV meteorologist is a dream job. If you can hit 60% accuracy 3-days out, you're performing at the 95th percentile. You always get "achieves expectations" on your yearly reviews.