Stable high pressure led to dry conditions and the development of drought conditions over far southern Florida.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.
Stable high pressure led to dry conditions and the development of drought conditions over far southern Florida.
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 Mar 20, 6:08 AM EST, 52 minutes earlier.
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
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 303 AM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 AMZ610-630-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-202215- 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- 303 AM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 ...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE ATLANTIC BEACHES... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RIP CURRENTS: EAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL RESULT IN A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A PERSISTENT ONSHORE WIND FLOW ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST WILL KEEP A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE ATLANTIC BEACHES THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. .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 national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Dry conditions throughout March led to the development of severe drought conditions over far southern Florida by the latter part of the month. Rainfall totals were mostly under an inch over the far southern portions of the Everglades, limiting water flow.
Dry conditions throughout March led to the development of severe drought conditions over far southern Florida by the latter part of the month. Rainfall totals were mostly under an inch over the far southern portions of the Everglades, limiting water flow.
Dry conditions throughout March led to the development of severe drought conditions over far southern Florida by the latter part of the month. Rainfall totals were mostly under an inch over the far southern portions of the Everglades, limiting water flow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, March 2012
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: 379680, 379681, 379682.