The Cowbell Fire started March 30th burned 21,840 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve. Due to fire behavior and fire movement Bear Island Campground, Pink Jeep Campground and Turner River Road Camps were closed.
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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.
The Cowbell Fire started March 30th burned 21,840 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve. Due to fire behavior and fire movement Bear Island Campground, Pink Jeep Campground and Turner River Road Camps were closed. Time and date is first reporting time of incident.
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 30, 2:02 PM EST, 59 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Miami FL 302 PM EDT Thu Mar 30 2017 .DISCUSSION... High pressure continues to keep the weather dry today and tonight. however, as a cold front approaches, the high is being pushed eastward, and the pressure gradient across the region is increasing. this has brought southeast wind to South Florida, with speeds around 10 to 15 kts, especially along the coastal areas. Gusts of 20 to 25 kts have also been seen. The front is forecast to approach the area tomorrow, bringing a chance of showers and maybe a few thunderstorms. The GFS has moistened up some, compared to previous runs. However, it still looks as though most of any active weather will tend to be in the lake region. The CAPEs for tomorrow are not impressive, with the GFS boundary layer CAPE less than 500 joules. There will be some weak 500mb vorticity advection, but it will be stronger in Central Florida, and weaken as it progresses southeast. Still, a front moving into the area will bring instability, so have kept a slight chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for much of South Florida, mainly towards the Lake and possibly along both coastlines. The convective activity quickly exits on Friday, with the models indicating dry weather returning after 00z Saturday. High pressure builds in for the weekend, with the center well to the north, over the mid-Atlantic states. This will bring an southeast flow back to South Florida for Sunday, which may also bring allow for some isolated showers in the lake region on Sunday. The high quickly moves eastward, off the east coast by Monday afternoon, ahead of another low pressure system. This next low looks to be more vigorous than Fridays system for South Florida. Models have the front moving into the area Monday night or Tuesday morning, with showers and possibly a few more thunderstorms for South Florida. the front quickly moves through the area, and is to the south of the CWA by Wednesday morning. While this is a cold front, the models do not have it bringing any cooler air to South Florida. high pressure does not look to be able to build in behind this front as both the GFS and the ECMWF are showing a large trough digging into the eastern US, which will quickly bring another frontal boundary into the area for the end of the week. && .MARINE... High pressure will continue to weaken ahead of an approaching cold front, that will move into the area tomorrow. This has brought the wind increase from the southeast today. The wind will continue to be be breezy and gusty through tomorrow. ALso, along with the front, will be a chance of showers, and possibly a few thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon over the Atlantic waters. Although, they cant be ruled out for the Gulf waters either. Conditions should begin to improve Friday night for a couple of days. then, another front is forecast to move into the region for the beginning of next week, which could bring deteriorating marine conditions. Along the Atlantic coast, the wind has brought a moderate risk of rip currents to all of the beaches along the South Florida coast today. The wind will become more southerly tomorrow, but will increase, which could still potentially bring a risk of rip currents to the Atlantic beaches through Friday as well. && .AVIATION... High pressure is moving to the east and the pressure gradient is increasing across South Florida. This has caused the wind to be southeasterly, and increase with gusts to around 25 kts in some locations. However, conditions are forecast to continue to be VFR through the TAF period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... West Palm Beach 70 85 66 86 / 0 30 10 10 Fort Lauderdale 73 85 70 85 / 10 30 10 10 Miami 72 85 69 87 / 10 20 0 10 Naples 67 84 69 84 / 0 20 10 10 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM EDT this evening for FLZ063-066. AM...None. GM...None. && DISCUSSION...13 MARINE...13 AVIATION...13
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida...UPDATED National Weather Service Miami FL 933 AM EDT Thu Mar 30 2017 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 310000- 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- 933 AM EDT Thu Mar 30 2017 ...Red Flag Warning for Glades and Hendry Counties This Afternoon... ...Moderate Risk of Rip Currents Atlantic Beaches... This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Rip Currents: Southeast winds up to 15 mph this afternoon will lead to a moderate risk of rip currents at the Atlantic beaches. Fire: There is a Red Flag Warning in effect for Glades and Hendry Counties this afternoon for the combination of dry fuels and RH values dropping to between 35 and 40 percent. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY Isolated thunderstorms are possible over parts of South Florida Friday and again early next week with the approach of the next front. The risk of rip currents will continue to be elevated at the Atlantic beaches on Friday. .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.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cowbell fire started March 30th and continued through the end of the month, not ending until April 30th. The fire burned 21,840 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve. It closed multiple campgrounds and trails in the National Preserve.
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, March 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: 684362.