New Koppen map for Florida

[Jimbean]

 

So the tropics, according to this definition now makes it up to Sebastian Inlet and Cape Canaveral.  Still around the Fort Myers area on the west coast. 

[Jimbean]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_USA_Florida_1991–2020.svg

 

In fact if you zoom in, it dots the coast of Brevard.  Cape Canaveral and Melbourne Beach are considered tropical monsoon climate (AM).  The resolution is not perfect, but I believe this classification is for the immediate coasts of Brevard and ends just north of Cape Canaveral.

I zoomed on the west coast, and did not see any tropical classification going north of Cape Coral.  I think this is the result of higher daytime temperatures in the winter months on the east coast versus the west coast, considering that Melbourne is a rough analog to Sarastota. 

[Jimbean]

[SeanK]

Is "subtropical" not a thing anymore?

[flplantguy]

And no dry season is funny to me too, the labels are not exact for sure.  We definately have a dry period every year but its sporadic so maybe thats why.

[OutpostPalms]

Interesting map that does a great job at differentiating the tropical areas. But the temperate area is just a huge blanket zone that has Tampa in the same class as Long Island NY. I’m pretty sure the FL panhandle gets more rain than the rainforest area on this map also. 

[kinzyjr]

My take is similar to the posters above.  There is a very distinct dry period here, especially in recent years.  You just never thought in Florida that we'd be tracking rain events as much as freeze events.

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/79400-for-some-florida-drought-is-getting-very-extreme/

In my mind, temperate is four distinct seasons.  We've got two here; hot with freezes and hot without freezes.  

Good to see you on again, @Jimbean.

[SeanK]

1 hour ago, kinzyjr said:

My take is similar to the posters above.  There is a very distinct dry period here, especially in recent years.  You just never thought in Florida that we'd be tracking rain events as much as freeze events.

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/79400-for-some-florida-drought-is-getting-very-extreme/

In my mind, temperate is four distinct seasons.  We've got two here; hot with freezes and hot without freezes.  

Good to see you on again, @Jimbean.

Does the dry period fall under monsoon?

[kinzyjr]

1 minute ago, SeanK said:

Does the dry period fall under monsoon?

That's the way I understood it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_monsoon_climate

A few years back, @PortCharlotteCocos mentioned that the Lakeland Airport was only about 2F away from a tropical classification back when he used to stop by the garden.

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/51127-florida-tropical-climate-map/#findComment-1112342

 

[RedRabbit]

The east and west coast seem inconsistent. If Merritt Island is partially tropical Manatee County certainly should be too. 

[SubTropicRay]

17 hours ago, OutpostPalms said:

Interesting map that does a great job at differentiating the tropical areas. But the temperate area is just a huge blanket zone that has Tampa in the same class as Long Island NY. I’m pretty sure the FL panhandle gets more rain than the rainforest area on this map also. 

This map is 💩. 

[Jimbean]

2 hours ago, SubTropicRay said:

This map is 💩. 

I would say that about the latest USDA hardiness zone map.

 

11 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

The east and west coast seem inconsistent. If Merritt Island is partially tropical Manatee County certainly should be too. 

Like I stated before, I'm guessing that this map is showing the results of higher daytime temperatures on the east coast as opposed to the west coast.  

 

15 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

My take is similar to the posters above.  There is a very distinct dry period here, especially in recent years.  You just never thought in Florida that we'd be tracking rain events as much as freeze events.

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/79400-for-some-florida-drought-is-getting-very-extreme/

In my mind, temperate is four distinct seasons.  We've got two here; hot with freezes and hot without freezes.  

Good to see you on again, @Jimbean.

Which is why I think there should have been a subtropical designation.  

[SubTropicRay]

.

[SubTropicRay]

5 minutes ago, Jimbean said:

I would say that about the latest USDA hardiness zone map.

 

 

Yup so we have 2 turds and they both stink.

[Jimbean]

4 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

Agreed but your east coast bias is annoying.  2 wrongs don't make a right.

Are we Los Angeles versus New York? hahaha

I don't think I have a bias, but then again, usually people with bias are unaware of it. 

[Jimbean]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_USA_Florida_2041–2070_SSP370.svg

Here's a projection.  I'd take this with a grain of salt

[Jimbean]

Older map:

Even older map:

 

[Hombre de Palmas]

Here is an interactive map that allows one to zoom into neighborhoods.

I notice a rather quick transition as I head northwest and farther inland out of PSL which broadly aligns with this map. My immediate area certainly has many tropical characteristics but we cannot compare to areas of Central America which also share the same climate designation.

The gradual migration of iguanas into this area supports the incremental climate evolution we are experiencing as much as anything else. I am now awaiting the pythons.

I do think that work needs to be done regarding Cfa designations.🙄

https://koppen.earth/

[Jimbean]

2 hours ago, Hombre de Palmas said:

Here is an interactive map that allows one to zoom into neighborhoods.

I notice a rather quick transition as I head northwest and farther inland out of PSL which broadly aligns with this map. My immediate area certainly has many tropical characteristics but we cannot compare to areas of Central America which also share the same climate designation.

The gradual migration of iguanas into this area supports the incremental climate evolution we are experiencing as much as anything else. I am now awaiting the pythons.

I do think that work needs to be done regarding Cfa designations.🙄

https://koppen.earth/

I was thinking about fauna when I saw this updated map too.  It does go with the range of the green iguanas, as they have been found up to the Melbourne/Palm Bay area on the east coast, but only up to the Cape Coral area on the west coast.  Again, this has to do with the higher day time temperatures in the winter months.

As for the pythons, I'm sure you already have them.  People have caught them up here, and my cousin said that he talked to someone who has seen them in the Martin/St. Lucie county area.  

Another animal that comes to mind are saltwater crocodiles.  They have been spotted in Cocoa Beach and Sebastian Inlet.  Once again, I believe they only go up to the Cape Coral area on the west coast. 

[SubTropicRay]

2 hours ago, Jimbean said:

I was thinking about fauna when I saw this updated map too.  It does go with the range of the green iguanas, as they have been found up to the Melbourne/Palm Bay area on the east coast, but only up to the Cape Coral area on the west coast.  Again, this has to do with the higher day time temperatures in the winter months.

As for the pythons, I'm sure you already have them.  People have caught them up here, and my cousin said that he talked to someone who has seen them in the Martin/St. Lucie county area.  

Another animal that comes to mind are saltwater crocodiles.  They have been spotted in Cocoa Beach and Sebastian Inlet.  Once again, I believe they only go up to the Cape Coral area on the west coast. 

Saltwater crocs have been spotted multiple times in the Weedon Island preserve of Pinellas County.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, Jimbean said:

I was thinking about fauna when I saw this updated map too.  It does go with the range of the green iguanas, as they have been found up to the Melbourne/Palm Bay area on the east coast, but only up to the Cape Coral area on the west coast.  Again, this has to do with the higher day time temperatures in the winter months.

 

Uh, you might want to look at your maps again regarding Green Iggy observations..



Quite common around the Tampa / Sarasota Bay areas 



...On top of that: ..Several observations of juvenile Green Iguana specimens in parts of S. Cal. recently ( Within the last 10-14 years ) .   




....Does that mean S. Cal is now Koppen Tropical too? 


Koppen = 🐴 & 🐓 💩   

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Uh, you might want to look at your maps again regarding Green Iggy observations..



Quite common around the Tampa / Sarasota Bay areas 



...On top of that: ..Several observations of juvenile Green Iguana specimens in parts of S. Cal. recently ( Within the last 10-14 years ) .   




....Does that mean S. Cal is now Koppen Tropical too? 


Koppen = 🐴 & 🐓 💩   

FYI: For those of us on ( ..or close enough to... ) the best coast, north of Mexico,  Keep an eye out for Mr. Geico's friends..




 

[richtrav]

On 8/11/2025 at 7:20 PM, Jimbean said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_USA_Florida_1991–2020.svg

Go to the bottom and you will see the projected climates for 2041-2070 and 2071-2099. Every model is just a hair different. You can also swap out Florida and put in any other state you want:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_USA_Texas_1991–2020.svg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_USA_California_1991–2020.svg

Interesting that 3 of 6 models have a tropical savannah climate in TX in 2041-2070 and all but one have a tropical savannah by 2071. You have to squint but it develops on a sliver of the coastal barrier islands around Corpus Christi. Presumably rainfall is too low farther south. And two of the models for 2071-2099 have tiny patches of tropical rainforest at the mouth of the Mississippi in Louisiana.