Climate
See also: List of Florida hurricanes and List of snow events in FloridaThe climate of South Florida is noted for its variability, as average annual temperatures range from 60 °F (16 °C) to 80 °F (27 °C). Temperatures in summer months typically exceed 90 °F (32 °C), although coastal locations are cooled by winds from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Freezing in winter months occurs with varying severity and frequency. The most severe episode of freezing in the region's recorded history occurred in two weeks of January 2010, resulting in effects similar to the destruction of a hurricane or substantial wildfire. The region's subtropical to tropical climate features a 7-month wet season from April through October, when 75 percent of precipitation is related to tropical cyclones and thunderstorms. Only 25 percent of the annual precipitation falls during the dry season from November to March, usually sparked by cold fronts tracking southward. Annual rainfall averages approximately 62 inches (160 cm), with the Eastern Coastal Ridge receiving the majority of precipitation and the area surrounding Lake Okeechobee receiving about 48 inches (120 cm).
Unlike any other wetland system on earth, the Everglades are sustained primarily by the atmosphere. Evapotranspiration—the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere—associated with thunderstorms, is the key mechanism by which water leaves the region. During a year unaffected by drought, the rate may reach 40 inches (100 cm) a year. When droughts take place, the rate may peak at over 50 inches (130 cm), and exceed the amount of rainfall. As water leaves an area through evaporation from groundwater or from plant matter, activated primarily by solar energy, it is then moved by wind patterns to other areas that border or flow into the Everglades watershed system. Evapotranspiration is responsible for approximately 70–90 percent of water entering undeveloped wetland regions in the Everglades.
Precipitation during the wet season is primarily caused by thunderstorms formed from Bermuda High pressure systems, blown ashore with the anti-clockwise flow. However, precipitation levels are often twice as high from August to October due to tropical depressions, storms, and hurricanes. Storm systems are significantly affected by El Niño and other global climate factors: between 1951 and 1980, precipitation in South Florida varied between 34 inches (86 cm) and 88 inches (220 cm). Tropical storms average one a year, and major hurricanes about once every ten years. Between 1871 and 1981, 138 tropical cyclones struck directly over or close to the Everglades. Strong winds from these storms disperse plant seeds and replenish mangrove forests, coral reefs, and other ecosystems. Dramatic fluctuations in precipitation are characteristic of the South Florida climate. Droughts, floods, freezing, and tropical cyclones are part of the natural water system in the Everglades.
| Period | Mean | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | 51.9 inches (132 cm) | 77.5 inches (197 cm) | 36.7 inches (93 cm) |
| Wet season | 34.5 inches (88 cm) | 53.5 inches (136 cm) | 23.4 inches (59 cm) |
| Dry season | 17.4 inches (44 cm) | 30.9 inches (78 cm) | 7.3 inches (19 cm) |
Read more about this topic: Everglades
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