Florida, 2012Drought in Florida, February 21 to 29, 2012
February 21 to 29, 2012 · NWS MFL · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
Lack of rainfall during the dry season led to the onset of severe drought conditions over interior sections of southwest Florida.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Lack of rainfall during the dry season led to the onset of severe drought conditions over interior sections of southwest Florida.
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 21, 6:34 AM EST, 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 6:34 AM EST, 26 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
634 AM EST TUE FEB 21 2012
.AVIATION...PREVAILING VFR THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SCT TO
PERHAPS BRIEFLY BKN STRATOCU WILL AFFECT THE TERMINALS THROUGH
THE PERIOD WITH CLOUD BASES GENERALLY AT OR ABOVE 3500 FEET. HIGH
CIRRUS WILL ALSO STREAM OVERHEAD. WINDS WILL BECOME EASTERLY WITH
SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 10 KNOTS AFTER 14Z. AT KAPF, WINDS WILL
BECOME WSW AROUND 18Z AS THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE DEVELOPS,
BEFORE TURNING EASTERLY AGAIN AFTER 01Z.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 404 AM EST TUE FEB 21 2012/
DISCUSSION...
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DRY WEATHER EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS EASTERN US WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST.
EASTERLY FLOW WILL PREVAIL TODAY BUT WEAKENING SLIGHTLY AS THE DAY
PROGRESSES...ALLOWING FOR THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE TO DEVELOP
THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE SURFACE HIGH CONTINUES TO MOVE AWAY FROM
THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...WIND FLOW WILL BECOME SOUTH-
EASTERLY...IMPLYING WARM TEMPERATURES ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THE
END OF THE WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES COULD REACH THE MID 80'S MOSTLY
ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND WEST.
FRIDAY AND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER
NORTH-CENTRAL US WILL CONTINUE STRENGTHENING THROUGH THE WEEK AND
MOVING EAST...ALLOWING FOR ITS COLD FRONT TO POSSIBLY REACH SOUTH
FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND. LATEST GUIDANCE KEEPS BRINGING THIS BOUNDARY
TO OUR CWA BY EARLY SATURDAY...WHICH IS A SIMILAR PATTERN FROM
THIS PASSED WEEKEND'S WEATHER. THIS BOUNDARY SEEMS TO BE
WEAK...THEREFORE KEPT THE POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE RANGE ACROSS
THE WHOLE AREA STARTING ON FRIDAY. CURRENT MODELS SHOW THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY STALLING FOR A FEW FRAMES SOUTH OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA BEFORE
MOVING BACK NORTH BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FOR THIS REASON...INTRODUCED
A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS THE WHOLE AREA FOR EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
MARINE...LIGHT EASTERLY FLOW WILL BECOME SOUTHEASTERLY BY
WEDNESDAY...AS THE SURFACE HIGH ACROSS EASTERN US MOVES AWAY FROM
THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. A MODERATE SWELL GENERATED BY A LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC...WILL AFFECT THE
LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS...ESPECIALLY OFF PALM BEACH...FROM TUESDAY
NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. MARINERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
ACROSS THIS AREA. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS ALSO EXPECTED
FOR THE PALM BEACH WATERS DUE TO THIS SWELL.
FIRE WEATHER...DRIER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AFTER
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. AT THIS MOMENT...LATEST GUIDANCE SHOWS RH
VALUES IN THE MID 30S ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. NO SPECIAL PRODUCTS
WERE GENERATED AT THIS TIME DUE TO UNCERTAINTY. THIS WILL BE
FURTHER EVALUATED IN FUTURE FORECAST PACKAGES.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH 78 61 81 65 / - - - 10
FORT LAUDERDALE 78 65 79 67 / - - - -
MIAMI 78 64 80 67 / - - - -
NAPLES 76 59 79 63 / - - 10 10
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
AM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM-WATERS
FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20
NM TO 60 NM.
GM...NONE.
&&
AVIATION...14/MJBHazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 4:44 AM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
444 AM EST TUE FEB 21 2012
AMZ610-630-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-221030-
LAKE OKEECHOBEE-BISCAYNE BAY-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-
444 AM EST TUE FEB 21 2012
...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS PALM BEACHES, SLIGHT RISK BROWARD/DADE...
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY PALM BEACH WATERS...
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
RIP CURRENTS: EAST WINDS COMBINED WITH A NORTHEAST SWELL WILL
RESULT IN A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE PALM BEACHES
TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE
BROWARD AND MIAMI DADE COUNTY BEACHES.
WAVES: A NORTHEAST SWELL OF 3 TO 4 FEET WILL PRODUCE SEAS UP TO 7
FEET IN THE PALM BEACH COUNTY WATERS TODAY, AND UP TO 8 FEET
TONIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY
SEAS UP TO 7 FEET WILL PERSIST OVER THE PALM BEACH COUNTY WATERS
ON WEDNESDAY. THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL ALSO REMAIN ELEVATED
AT THE EAST COAST BEACHES THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
.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.
Drought, Glades
- When
- February 21, 7:00 AM EST to February 29, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Glades forecast zone
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
- Coordinates
- 26.957, -81.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The La Ni a pattern which has prevailed through the South Florida dry season contributed to the onset of severe drought conditions over interior southwest Florida. Rainfall amounts over the area from November 1, 2011 through the end of February 2012 were only in the 4 to 5 inch range, which is about half of the normal rain percent of normal for that time period. Pasture conditions ranged from poor to fair across the area. The level of Fisheating Creek was around 1.5 feet which was about 1 foot below normal.
Drought, Hendry
- When
- February 21, 7:00 AM EST to February 29, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hendry forecast zone
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
- Coordinates
- 26.554, -81.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The La Ni a pattern which has prevailed through the South Florida dry season contributed to the onset of severe drought conditions over interior southwest Florida. Rainfall amounts over the area from November 1, 2011 through the end of February 2012 were only in the 4 to 5 inch range, which is about half of the normal rain percent of normal for that time period. Pasture conditions ranged from poor to fair across the area. The level of Fisheating Creek was around 1.5 feet which was about 1 foot below normal.
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- High Wind in Colorado, February 21 to 23, 20121 injured · 74 kt wind · 8 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Washington, February 21 to 22, 2012$16,000 · 57 kt wind · 6 events
- High Wind in Washington, February 21 to 22, 2012$15,000 · 63 kt wind · 4 events
- High Wind in Montana, February 21 to 22, 201275 kt wind · 8 events
- Drought in Texas, February 21 to 29, 20127 events
- Heavy Snow in Wyoming, February 21 to 23, 20124 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, February 21 to 23, 20123 events
- High Wind in Montana, February 21 to 22, 20122 events
- Heavy Snow in Washington, February 21 to 22, 20121 event
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 21 to 24, 20121 event
- Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, February 21 to 22, 20121 event
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 368038, 368039.