Persistent drought contributed to dry conditions which allow wildfire activity to return across portions of Hendry County in March.
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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.
Persistent drought contributed to dry conditions which allow wildfire activity to return across portions of Hendry County in March.
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 4, 6:39 AM EST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
639 AM EST Wed Mar 4 2026
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 633 AM EST Wed Mar 4 2026
- A few showers will be possible today, especially along the
immediate east coast.
- High Rip Current Risk along Atlantic beaches this week.
- Hazardous conditions for small craft across Atlantic waters.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Tonight through Thursday)
Issued at 1129 PM EST Tue Mar 3 2026
Above average moisture remains across the region from an old
frontal boundary, as high pressure has become established over the
eastern CONUS. This will lead to a continuation of the
east-northeasterly flow across the area. Quick moving coastal
showers will be possible through the next couple of days. Partly
sunny conditions should prevail overall, with brief periods of
rainfall. Highest rain chances will remain along the immediate
east coast, however a few showers may reach Southwest Florida as
well. With lack of significant synoptic forcing, thunderstorm
activity should remain minimal however a few isolated
thunderstorms cannot be completely ruled out, especially over the
warm gulfstream waters.
High temperatures will reach the low to mid 80s today and tomorrow
with overnight lows in the 60s.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Thursday night through next Tuesday)
Issued at 1129 PM EST Tue Mar 3 2026
The pattern through the long term period remains largely unchanged
each day. Breezy east-northeast flow continues through the majority
of the week as the surface pressure gradient remains tight. There
will be a chance (20-30%) for showers each day through the period as
slightly above average moisture remains (PWATs 1.2-1.4 inches)
with highest chances across local Atlantic waters and along the
immediate east coast. Surface flow veers more easterly towards the
end of the week and into the weekend as surface high pressure
across the western Atlantic builds westward.
High temperatures should remain in the low 80s for east coast metro
areas, however due to the easterly flow, a warming trend is expected
for interior and Southwest Florida and highs could approach the
upper 80s to low 90s by the middle of the work-week.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 633 AM EST Wed Mar 4 2026
VFR conditions should prevail through the period. However,
isolated rain showers will move across the East Coast metro
through the day, which could result in brief periods of lower
vis/broken cigs for some of the East Coast terminals. Confidence
remains low at this time, but short-fuse TEMPOs could be
necessary. Breezy easterly winds continue, with gusts up to 25 kts
possible this afternoon.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1129 PM EST Tue Mar 3 2026
Expect a scattering of showers and isolated thunderstorms each day
and night over local waters. High pressure across the Southeast
will lead to a strong easterly regime through most of this week.
Fresh easterly winds between 17-20 knots could be expected
throughout the week.
&&
.BEACHES...
Issued at 1129 PM EST Tue Mar 3 2026
Strong east-northeast flow will lead to a high risk of rip
currents for all Southeast Florida beaches for the majority of
this week.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Miami 81 71 82 72 / 10 30 30 10
West Kendall 83 68 84 68 / 10 30 20 10
Opa-Locka 83 70 84 71 / 20 30 30 10
Homestead 82 71 83 72 / 20 30 20 10
Fort Lauderdale 80 70 80 72 / 20 30 30 10
N Ft Lauderdale 80 71 81 72 / 20 30 30 10
Pembroke Pines 83 70 84 71 / 10 30 30 10
West Palm Beach 80 70 81 71 / 10 30 30 10
Boca Raton 80 70 81 71 / 20 40 30 20
Naples 85 68 85 68 / 30 10 50 20
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Friday evening for FLZ168-172-173.
AM...None.
GM...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...99
LONG TERM....99
AVIATION...ATVThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The FPL Solar Field fire in Hendry County went from March 4th to 9th and burned 724 acres.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, March 2026
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: 1328088.