Name: Drought in Florida, March 1 to 31, 2009
Start: 2009-03-01T00:00
End: 2009-03-31T23:59
Location: Florida

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.

Dry conditions across Southeast Florida led to the continuation of severe drought conditions across most of the area during the month of March.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 28, 9:08 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 9:08 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
908 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009

.UPDATE...COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDS BETWEEN PENSACOLA AND
DESTIN EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. SATELLITE
IMAGERY AND LIGHTNING DATA SHOW THAT A CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS
DEVELOPED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO SOME 100 MILES SE OF THE
LOUISIANA COAST. TIMING OF THESE STORMS IS ESE AT 10 KT SO NO RISK
OF GETTING INTO THE LOCAL AREA OVERNIGHT. IN FACT...MODELS
UNANIMOUSLY AGREE THAT IT WILL REMAIN COMPLETELY DRY
OVERNIGHT...AND GIVEN THE MIA DRY SOUNDING THIS EVENING (PWAT 0.78
INCHES) AND UPSTREAM TAMPA SOUNDING (PWAT 0.63 INCHES)...WITH VERY
DRY LOW LEVEL AIR...HAVE NO REASON TO DISAGREE. SO NO APPRECIABLE
CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO THE FCST FOR TONIGHT.

THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE ITS SE PROGRESSION REACHING THE
NAPLES AREA MID/LATE MORNING SUNDAY AND THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS
DURING THE MID/LATE AFTERNOON. SO THE BEST HEATING/INSTABILITY
WILL BE ACROSS THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS ON SUNDAY. GFS/NAM FCST
SOUNDINGS DO BOTH SHOW HIGHER CAPE COMPARED TO YESTERDAYS RUNS...1-2K
J/KG EAST COAST BY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...LIMITING FACTORS FOR
ROBUST CONVECTION WILL BE THE LACK OF MOISTURE AND WINDS TURNING
SW AHEAD OF FRONT LIMITING CONVERGENCE. MID LEVEL VORTICITY
ADVECTION WILL BE NORTH OF THE AREA...THEN LAGGING WELL BEHIND
THE FRONT FURTHER TO THE SOUTH. SO INHERITED FCST HANDLES THE
SITUATION WELL WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF STORMS. UNFORTUNATELY...WE NEED THE RAIN AND IT JUST DOES NOT
LOOK LIKE BENEFICIAL RAINFALL WILL OCCUR WITH THIS FRONT....WITH
MOST AREAS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. AND
WHATEVER RAIN FALLS SUNDAY LOOKS TO BE IT FOR THE WEEK AHEAD.
/GREGORIA

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 655 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009/

AVIATION...
MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINING EVENING HOURS
AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY. THE WINDS WILL BEGIN
TO SHIFT TO A MORE SOUTHERLY TO SOUTH SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION DURING
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY...IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT
EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS THE SOUTH FLORIDA PENINSULA LATER ON
SUNDAY. AREAS OF FOG AND PATCHY FOG IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE
INTERIOR PORTIONS OF THE PENINSULA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...BUT IS NOT
EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE LOCAL TERMINALS.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 226 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009/

.A LITTLE BIT OF RAINFALL FOR SOUTH FLORIDA SUNDAY...
.COLDER WEATHER FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...

DISCUSSION...
A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AS A MID TO UPPER LEVEL LOW WAS LOCATED
OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT AND INTO GEORGIA ON SUNDAY.
THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A SURFACE LOW TO FORM ALONG THE FRONT OVER
GEORGIA TONIGHT AND MOVE NORTHEAST INTO THE CAROLINAS ON SUNDAY.
THE ASSOCIATED STRONG COLD FRONT WITH THE LOW WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD
AND THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS ON SUNDAY.

THE WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST
LESS THAN 5 MPH TONIGHT OVER THE CWA BRINING IN SOME LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE TO THE AREA. THEREFORE...FOG FORMATION IS POSSIBLE
TONIGHT OVER MOST OF THE CWA WITH THE THICKEST FOG FORMATION OVER
THE INTERIOR AREAS. SO HAVE ADDED PATCHY FOG OVER THE METRO AREAS
FOR LATE TONIGHT...AND UP THE FOG WORDING TO AREAS OVER THE
INTERIOR AREAS TONIGHT.

THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL ENERGY THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL
LOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST AND THROUGH NORTH FLORIDA LATE
TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL KEEP THE LINE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES THIS AFTERNOON
GOING TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING..AS THE LINE CONTINUES TO MOVE
SOUTH DOWN THE PENINSULA.

THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD THEN SLOWLY DISSIPATE
AS IT MOVES THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...DUE TO THE MID
TO UPPER LEVEL ENERGY SHIFTING INTO THE ATLANTIC WATERS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. SO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CWA FOR SUNDAY ALONG WITH THE
STRONGEST STORMS PRODUCING SOME GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...IF THE
MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE TREND THAT THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL
ENERGY WILL BE IN THE ATLANTIC WATERS IN LATER RUNS THEN WE MIGHT
HAVE TO REMOVE THE GUSTY WINDS WORDING.

ONCE THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA...THEN THE DRY AND MUCH
COLDER WEATHER WILL COME INTO THE CWA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY ON
THE NORTHERLY WIND FLOW. TEMPS FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK WILL
BE IN THE 60S TO AROUND 70 FOR HIGHS AND LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER
30S OVER THE INTERIOR AREAS TO THE LOWER TO MID 40S ALONG THE
COASTAL AREAS.

THE WINDS EARLY MONDAY MORNING WILL ALSO BE AROUND 5 MPH OVER THE
INTERIOR AREAS TO 10 TO 15 MPH ALONG THE METRO AREAS. THIS WILL
MAKE THE WIND CHILL READINGS BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S OVER THE
INTERIOR AREAS...WITH MID 30S WELL INLAND METRO AREAS TO LOWER
40S COASTAL AREAS. SO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WIND CHILL
READINGS IN LATER FORECAST TO SEE IF WE NEED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY
FOR THE INTERIOR AREAS FOR EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...THE LOWS OVER THE
INTERIOR AREAS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S WITH THE METRO
AREAS SEEING LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S WELL INLAND TO MID 40S COASTAL
AREAS. HOWEVER...THE LATEST MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO LOWER THE LOW
TEMPS FOR MONDAY NIGHT EACH RUN. IF THIS TREND CONDITIONS IN LATER
MODELS...THEN WE MIGHT HAVE TO ISSUE A FREEZE OUTLOOK FOR THE
NORTHWEST INTERIOR AREAS SOMETIME ON SUNDAY FOR MONDAY NIGHT.

EXTENDED FORECAST...
THE HIGH THAT IS BRINGING THE COLD WEATHER TO THE AREA FOR EARLY
NEXT WEEK...WHILE REMAIN OVER SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THE MIDDLE TO END
OF NEXT WEEK WHILE SLOWLY WEAKENING. THIS WILL KEEP SOUTH FLORIDA
DRY...AND ALLOW FOR THE TEMPS TO SLOWLY WARM BACK UP TO NEAR
NORMAL CONDITIONS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR BY END OF NEXT WEEK.

MARINE...
THE WINDS TONIGHT WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 10 KNOTS OR
LESS BEFORE INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND
SWINGING TO A WEST TO NORTHWEST DIRECTION WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE
COLD FRONT. THE WINDS WILL THEN REMAIN NORTHWEST ON SUNDAY NIGHT
AT 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS UP TO NEAR GLADE FORECAST. THE WIND
WILL THEN SLOWLY DECREASE ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT FROM THE
NORTHWEST...AND BY TUESDAY BE AROUND 10 KNOTS.

THE SEAS WILL BE BELOW 6 FEET TONIGHT...BEFORE INCREASE TO AT
LEAST 7 FEET SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN THE GULF STREAM WATERS...AND IN
THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS. THE SEAS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE
TO 8 TO 10 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING IN THE GULF
STREAM...AND 6 TO 8 FEET IN THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS. THE SEAS
WILL THEN SLOWLY DECREASE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...AND SHOULD BE
BELOW 6 FEET BY TUESDAY. THERE WILL ALSO BE A NORTHWEST SWELL OF 2
TO 4 FEET NEAR-SHORE AND 3 TO 5 FEET OFFSHORE IN THE GULF WATERS
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.

SO WILL MENTION POSSIBLE SCA CONDITIONS FOR ALL THE WATERS FOR
SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN THE MARINE AFTERNOON PACKAGE.

FIRE WEATHER...
THE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN ABOVE THE 35 PERCENT CRITICAL
VALUES ON SUNDAY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. HOWEVER...THE RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES ON MONDAY WILL FALL BELOW THE 35 PERCENT CRITICAL VALUE
FOR AT LEAST FOUR 4 HOURS OVER THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS AND THE
INTERIOR AREAS. SO WILL ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE
INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS FOR MONDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH  63  78  44  66 / -  30 10 -
FORT LAUDERDALE  66  81  47  67 / -  30 10 -
MIAMI            67  82  49  68 / -  30 10 -
NAPLES           64  69  49  66 / 10 40 10 -

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING
     FOR FLZ063-FLZ066-FLZ067-FLZ068-FLZ070-FLZ071-FLZ072-FLZ073-
     FLZ074.

AM...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 28, 6:00 PM EST, 6 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
600 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009

FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-011000-
GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER-
INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE-
METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH-
COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE-
600 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009

...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE SUNDAY AHEAD OF STRONG COLD FRONT...
...MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA ON SUNDAY. INSTABILITY
MAY INCREASE JUST ENOUGH AHEAD OF THE FRONT TO ALLOW FOR A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. SHOULD STORMS MANAGE TO DEVELOP, GUSTY
WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. UNFORTUNATELY, BENEFICIAL RAINFALL DOES NOT
LOOK LIKELY WITH THIS FRONT.

MUCH COOLER AIR WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH FLORIDA BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY
NIGHT WITH LOWS EXPECTED TO PLUMMET INTO THE UPPER 30S TO NEAR 40
INTERIOR TO THE 40S EVEN ALONG BOTH THE GULF AND ATLANTIC COASTS.
WIND CHILL READINGS WILL FALL INTO THE MID 30S INLAND TO THE UPPER
30S TO LOWER 40S ALONG THE COASTS. THE VERY COOL WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS WELL, WITH MODERATING TEMPS BY MID
WEEK.

WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST WHILE INCREASING AHEAD OF THE FRONT ON
SUNDAY. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST BY SUNDAY EVENING. THIS WILL LEAD
TO DETERIORATING MARINE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE LOCAL WATERS OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS, ESPECIALLY IN THE GULF STREAM WHERE SEAS WILL BUILD
TO 8 TO 10 FEET BY MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Coastal Miami-Dade County

When: March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Coastal Miami-Dade County forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 25.609, -80.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry conditions persisted across most of South Florida during March. Most areas received less than 2 inches of rain, with some interior and western areas receiving less than 1 inch for the entire month. Some east coast areas received higher amounts from a stalled front during the middle of the month, with isolated areas seeing as much as 6 to 8 inches of rain.

Most of South Florida was placed under severe drought (D2) conditions.