Research and plan your vacation with
the local climate in mind. Florida's climate is best described
as subtropical with mild winters and quite warm summers. The state
is
essentially a long peninsula with
no place more than 80 miles from either the Atlantic Ocean or the
Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures are greatly influenced by the surrounding
water which has a moderating effect on both the high and low temperatures.
Generally, the interior of the state tends to warm more rapidly and
reach higher temperatures during the day while cooling more rapidly
and falling to lower temperatures during the night.
The
summer months of June, July, August and even into September are
the rainiest months of the year. During this period thunderstorms
are common. Many welcome these rain showers as they provide cooling
relief during hot afternoons - but, keep them in mind when scheduling
your vacation activities! One must be wary since these
thunderstorms sometimes become
quite
severe
with very
strong
winds and intense lightning.
Winter
brings dryer weather to Florida and of course the occasional cold
front. Northern Florida feels the effects of cold fronts much more
than southern Florida. Northern Florida will experience numerous
days where the low temperature falls below freezing while this
rarely occurs in south Florida. Still, the average low temperature
even in the coldest months in north Florida is above 40F in most
areas with high temperatures averaging in the 60s. In south Florida
the coldest months bring low temperatures that typically average
in the 60s with highs reaching well into 70s. Snow is very rare
in Florida.
Although
snow is rare in Florida, tropical storms and hurricanes are not. Hurricane
season is from June 1st through November 30th. These tropical
cyclones can bring devastation to Florida. Modern surveillance
systems provide plenty of notice of approaching hurricanes, however.
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