Florida Guide > Miscellaneous
Florida’s Climate
Probably the single most important factor that attracts us back to Florida year on year is the weather. Florida’s Climate can be described as subtropical although odd cold spells are not unknown in the winter time. The seasons in Florida are driven more by variations in rainfall rather than by out and out temperature. Winters are generally mild and relatively dry, whilst summers are hot and humid with varying levels of rainfall. The Gulf Stream has a moderating effect on the climate, and although most of Florida sees high summer temperature of over 90 degrees, temperatures will very rarely exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the state was 109 F recorded on 29 June 1931 in Monticello. The coldest was – 2 °F (-19 °C), recorded on 13 February 1899 in Tallahassee. . . a long time ago and therefore extremely rare!
We have visited Florida at varying times over the years and we enjoy the differences immensely. In April for example skies are clear and the air is dry, in August it is much more humid with higher temperatures and the warmth is almost therapeutic. Temperatures in July/August are usually in the low 90s Fahrenheit, whilst temperatures in January can reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit dependent upon wind direction and time of day.
Florida is known as the " Sunshine State" because of its abundance of this natural wonder. Alongside the sunshine, the subtropical climate can bring with it some amazing sights. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences remarkable storms which can be beautiful to watch across the skies. Florida experiences rainfall in the summer, keeping it lush and tropical – these often appear during the late afternoon. However this ‘liquid sunshine’ is often short lived and a good day may be interrupted with a short storm only to immediately return to bright sunshine. These thunderstorms are caused by collisions between airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and airflow from the Atlantic Ocean.
Snow in Florida is an incredibly rare occurrence indeed with the most widespread occurrence recorded on 19 January 1977 with snow falling on Miami Beach for the only time recorded in history. Very rare as this was over 30 years ago! !
Florida, like many countries and islands in the Caribbean area has experience hurricanes . A rare season was 2004 However it is rare for it to be hit this hard. Indeed Orlando had not experienced a storm since 1960.
We absolutely adore Floridian weather – to feel the warmth and be able to wear tee shirts and shorts so for so many days of the year - we cannot wait to receive another dose.
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