Continuing dry conditions brought favorable conditions for wildfire development and spread during the spring across South Florida. One of these wildfires in West Palm Beach lead to the brief evacuation of numerous homes and road closures, including a US highway.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Continuing dry conditions brought favorable conditions for wildfire development and spread during the spring across South Florida. One of these wildfires in West Palm Beach lead to the brief evacuation of numerous homes and road closures, including a US highway.
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 Apr 7, 3:33 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Miami FL
433 PM EDT Sat Apr 7 2018
.UPDATE...
A Small Craft Advisory has been posted for the Atlantic waters and
Biscayne Bay. Sustained winds have increased and are not easing as
expected earlier. An updated Coastal Waters Forecast has been
transmitted with this afternoon wording and an updated CWF with
tonight wording will be transmitted later this evening.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 408 PM EDT Sat Apr 7 2018/
DISCUSSION...
A cold front is pushing across the southeastern United States this
afternoon. Ahead of the front, a trough with showers and
thunderstorms is making its way to through the northeastern Gulf
of Mexico towards the peninsula of Florida. Sea breezes also
formed earlier today and are now pushing inland with convection
developing. Some storms over Central Florida have pushed near
severe limits with the trend expected to continue through the
afternoon and evening in those areas. For South Florida, the
activity will likely be limited to northern coastal and lake portions
of the forecast area where the environment is more favorable for
thunderstorm development.
Overnight, the front will push closer and the convective activity
will return across much of Southwest Florida and the Lake
Okeechobee region. The low level jet is strongest north of the
area, hence why the Storm Prediction Center keeps the marginal and
slight risk areas north of Glades County and the lake this
afternoon. The situation will still need to be monitored as an
isolated storm or two could bring gusty winds, heavy rain, and
lightning to portions of the Lake Okeechobee region overnight.
For Sunday, the front will stall around or just north of the lake.
This will allow the southwesterly to westerly flow to focus
convection along the Palm Beach and Broward coasts by Sunday
afternoon. There does exist a concern for heavy rainfall over
these areas, along with areas around Lake Okeechobee. While much
of the area is in drought due to the lack of rainfall in the last
few months, training cells developing over the same region could
soak an area and produce isolated heavier amounts. Combine this
with urbanized environments and it could create some localized
ponding on roads and flooding of low-lying, poorly drained areas.
The stalled boundary will linger into Monday with much of the area
staying warm and wetter than what is typical for this part of the
dry season. Late Tuesday into Wednesday, a mid-level impulse will
help push another front towards the region which should be able to
clear across the area by early Thursday. This front could also
bring showers and thunderstorms with it, but once past there
should be a generally drier pattern reestablishing itself over
the area into the weekend.
MARINE...
Cautionary conditions continue for mariners over the Atlantic
waters this afternoon and evening, with wind gusts reaching into
the mid-20 kt range. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible
this afternoon and evening in the Atlantic waters generally north
of Miami Beach, across Lake Okeechobee tonight and Sunday, and
over the Atlantic waters again Sunday afternoon and evening.
Thunderstorm chances return area wide Tuesday and Wednesday.
Briefly higher winds and seas will be possible near any
thunderstorms.
BEACH FORECAST...
An elevated risk for rip currents along the Atlantic beaches will
continue tonight into Sunday before easing during the day on
Sunday. An elevated risk for rips may return to the Atlantic
beaches by mid week.
PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 209 PM EDT Sat Apr 7 2018/
AVIATION...
South Southwest winds will persist from around 12-15 KT through
the remainder of the afternoon. VCSH conds will be possible at
KPBI this afternoon, as increasing moisture and instability lead
to scattered shower development along the immediate Atlantic
coastal Palm Beach County. There also remains a slight chance of
thunder, but not confident enough to mention in TAFS. Winds will
diminish late this evening, becoming light and southwesterly
overnight.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
West Palm Beach 69 85 70 87 / 20 80 40 40
Fort Lauderdale 72 86 73 87 / 20 60 20 20
Miami 72 87 73 88 / 20 40 10 20
Naples 72 83 71 85 / 40 50 10 20
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
AM...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM EDT Sunday for AMZ630-650-651-
670-671.
GM...None.
&&
UPDATE...02/RAG
DISCUSSION...02/RAG
MARINE...02/RAG
AVIATION...27/JT
BEACH FORECAST...02/RAGHazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida National Weather Service Miami FL 1135 AM EDT Sat Apr 7 2018 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 080345- 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- 1135 AM EDT Sat Apr 7 2018 ...HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS FOR WATERS OFF PALM BEACH COUNTY... ...MODERATE RIP CURRENT EAST COAST BEACHES... This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT Rip currents: There is a moderate risk of rip currents for the Atlantic Beaches today. Waterspouts: Showers or thunderstorms that develop along the Palm Beach County coastal waters will have the potential to produce isolated waterspouts this afternoon. Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms will be possible later this afternoon, mainly in Palm Beach County, and the north coastal area of Broward County. They may also be possible in the western Lake region late tonight. Lightning and strong, gusty wind will be the primary threats. Wind: Tonight, strong thunderstorms may produce wind gusts up to 50 mph west of Lake Okeechobee. An isolated severe storm will remain possible as well. Over the Palm Beach County coastal waters, small craft should exercise caution today due to winds 15 to 20 KT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY There will be an elevated threat for rip currents at the Atlantic Beaches Sunday, and again on Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be a chance for thunderstorms on Sunday, mainly for northern and eastern portions of South Florida. If any of the storms begin to train, heavy rain may lead to localized urban and rural flooding concerns. Another cold front will bring a chance of thunderstorms late Tuesday into Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Widespread spotter activation is not anticipated, however individual spotters are encouraged to report high wind, hail and flooding to the National Weather Service forecast office in Miami. 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.
Emergency management reports a 10 acre wildfire near the Whispering Oaks community in West Palm Beach. Approximately 50 homes were briefly evacuated as a precaution as well as a brief closure of US 98 in the vicinity.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, April 2018
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: 750494.