Continued dry weather and below normal precipitation going back to late 2016 led to severe drought conditions across Southwest Florida. A total of 136 new fires were reported by the Florida Forest Service, resulting in 19,543 acres burned.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Continued dry weather and below normal precipitation going back to late 2016 led to severe drought conditions across Southwest Florida. A total of 136 new fires were reported by the Florida Forest Service, resulting in 19,543 acres burned. Crop production slowed as a result of the very dry conditions.
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 31, 6:57 PM EST, 5 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
757 PM EDT Fri Mar 31 2017
.AVIATION...
High clouds extending across most of South Florida (with the
exception of TMB) should stick around during the evening before
gradually thinning out overnight. If the clouds dissipate, then it
may allow for some patchy fog/low stratus development possibly affecting
APF after 06Z until 14Z. However, the chance of any fog affecting
APF appears to be decreasing. Winds overnight will be light and
variable all terminals after 03Z picking up to 7-10 kt from the
SSE after 17Z for east coast terminals.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 352 PM EDT Fri Mar 31 2017/
DISCUSSION...
TONIGHT AND Saturday...
Low pressure, over the Great Lakes, will continue to move east
towards the northeastern portion of the United States through
Friday. This will allow a cold front over the Southeastern United
States to move southward and wash out over South Florida. This
will keep a south/southwest steering flow over South Florida
through tonight, allowing for some low level moisture to work
into the area. Therefore, fog development is expected over the
area late tonight with the best coverage over the interior and
west coast metro areas.
The east and west coast sea breezes should develop on Saturday
and push slowly inland, as the steering flow will be light over
South Florida. This will keep the low level moisture in place over
the area, leading to a slight chance of showers over the interior
areas late Saturday. Therefore, a slight chance of showers have
been added for the interior areas of South Florida for Saturday
afternoon.
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
The front will have dissipated by late this weekend allowing for
high pressure to build into South Florida from the north for early
next week. This will allow for a breezy easterly wind flow to set
up over South Florida, along a few showers during the day hours
for early next week.
EXTENDED FORECAST...
The long range models are showing another low pressure developing
over the south central United States early next week. They have
the low moving to the northeast, towards the Great Lakes by end
of the week. The associated cold front will also be moving
southeastward, through South Florida by end of next week.
Therefore, a chance of showers and a slight chance of
thunderstorms have been added to the forecast for late next week
with the passage of the cold front.
MARINE...
The winds will be mainly be light from the southerly direction
tonight into Friday, before increasing to breezy conditions and
swinging to an easterly direction by early next week. The seas
will remain below 6 feet in both the Atlantic and Gulf waters of
South Florida through early next week.
The threat of rip currents will also be slowly increasing through
the weekend into early next week along the east coast beaches of
South Florida.
FIRE WEATHER...
The relative humidity over the western interior areas of South
Florida should fall down into the mid to upper 30's for around 4
hours on Saturday afternoon, especially over interior Collier and
Hendry Counties. Therefore, a Fire Weather Watch has been issued
for these counties for Saturday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
West Palm Beach 68 87 71 85 / 10 10 10 10
Fort Lauderdale 70 87 73 85 / 0 10 10 10
Miami 71 88 72 86 / 0 10 10 10
Naples 69 85 68 86 / 10 10 10 10
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...Fire Weather Watch from Saturday afternoon through Saturday
evening for FLZ066-070.
AM...None.
GM...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...54/BNB
MARINE...54/BNB
AVIATION...98/ABH
FIRE WEATHER...54/BNBHazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida National Weather Service Miami FL 954 PM EDT Fri Mar 31 2017 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 011400- Lake Okeechobee-Biscayne Bay- Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM- Coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL out 20 NM- Waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- Waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL from 20 to 60 NM excluding the territorial waters of Bahamas-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- Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM- Coastal waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee FL out 20 NM- Waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- 954 PM EDT Fri Mar 31 2017 ...Patchy Dense Fog possible in Interior Areas... This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT Visibility: Patchy fog will be possible tonight mainly over the interior and Gulf coast. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY Next system moves across the area bringing another chance for showers and thunderstorm Monday 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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought (D2) conditions persisted across Glades County during the month of April. Total monthly rainfall ranged between 0.5 and 2 inches. A burn ban was in effect for the entire county.
Severe drought (D2) conditions persisted across Hendry County during the month of April. Total monthly rainfall ranged between 0.5 and 2 inches. A burn ban was in effect for the entire county.
Severe drought (D2) conditions expanded across all of Inland Collier County as the month progressed. Total monthly rainfall ranged between 0.5 and 2 inches. A burn ban was in effect for the entire county. Two large wildfires sparked in the Golden Gate Estates area, burning thousands of acres and causing over $3 million in damage.
Severe drought (D2) conditions expanded across all of Coastal Collier County as the month progressed. Total monthly rainfall ranged between 1 and 2 inches. A burn ban was in effect for the entire county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, April 2017
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: 695145, 695146, 695149, 695150.