Sunshine State Will be Under Threat of Significant Moisture for Next Few Days

Posted: November 15, 2023 1:03 pm

A surge of tropical moisture is going to continue to create wet conditions throughout Florida for the next two days. However, the news is not all bad. The weather maker will also push off another tropical threat that is coming together in the Caribbean. Here is what you can expect in the Sunshine State through Thursday.

Gulf Coast Storm Moving Into Florida on Wednesday

The storm system that has been dumping heavy rain and whipping up winds across the Gulf Coast is pushing to the east and into Florida. This system will produce the risk of localized flooding while causing a number of disruptions to everyday life. The bands of rain are forecast to move from west to east as it pulls in more moisture from the Caribbean.

While there is already enough moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico to create the threat of urban flooding, the addition of precipitation coming from the Caribbean will serve to enhance this rainfall. The southeastern corner of the Florida peninsula will be in the primary impact zone for the heaviest rain.

This zone includes the heavily populated areas of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. You can expect widespread rainfall amounts of 4 – 8 inches with some pockets of higher totals beginning Wednesday afternoon and lasting through the night.

Forecasters have been warning for days about the possibility of a tropical feature coming to life in the western Caribbean. Even if this system does not take on designated tropical characteristics, it will still pack enough moisture to impact Florida as it moves to the north up the Eastern Seaboard. This is the same disturbance that forecasters are now warning could become a nor’easter early this weekend.

However, the current system in Florida may also serve as protection against the potential tropical feature. As this mid-week storm in Florida moves to the north, the winds it generates will push any potential tropical feature to the east of the U.S. and out into the open seas.

Florida Could Use the Rain

Although the confluence of weather systems will bring about some degree of disruptions to Florida, the moisture is good news for a part of the country dealing with drought conditions. According to last week’s report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost 80% of the state of Florida is under the category of abnormally dry conditions or worse.

The precipitation began to impact the western half of the Florida Panhandle to start the week. This moisture will continue to move across the peninsula through late Thursday.

In addition to the predicted heavy rain, the storm will also create stiff winds along the eastern coast of Florida and up into the Southeast. Beachgoers will want to be aware of the possibility of strong rip currents. You can expect these winds and rough sea conditions to exit the region by Friday.

While the worst of the rain and winds will be over by the end of the week, spotty rain showers will linger through the early part of the weekend. The arrival of a cold front on Saturday will bring the threat of rain to an end.

Long-Range Thanksgiving Forecast for Florida

Florida is traditionally a popular travel destination for the Thanksgiving holiday. Travelers flock to hot spots such as Miami and Orlando during this extended weekend. Will the weather cooperate for these travel plans next week? The long-range forecast looks promising at this point with mostly dry conditions on the horizon.

The greatest threat of rain looks to be in the cards for the days after Thanksgiving. The intensity and forward motion of this storm system will influence how hard Florida gets hit with rain showers as people wrap up the holiday weekend. This same system will also likely usher in rain for the lower Mississippi Valley and up through the Northeast early next week. Stay tuned to this forecast if you have Thanksgiving travel plans.

Temperatures will be pleasant next week throughout much of Florida. The mercury will hit the mid to upper 70s for the central portions of the state, making for near perfect weather to visit the many theme parks in the region. The beaches in the southern portions of the state will see readings hover in the 80s.

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