|
CoCoRaHS
FLORIDA
A Community Collaborative
Rain, Hail & Snow Network
| | | Greetings from the Coordinators, | | |
We are pleased to present the winter 2025 edition of our Florida CoCoRaHS newsletter. In this issue, we share highlights from our network during the summer and fall, discuss notable precipitation events, take a look back at the Atlantic hurricane season, and share some updates and reminders from the network.
This past summer, June-August, tied as the 5th-warmest summer on record for Florida (131 years), with a seasonal statewide average temperature of 83.0̊F, which was +2.4̊F above average. Fall average temperatures, September-November, were more seasonable, ranking 33rd warmest fall on record with a statewide seasonal average temperature of 73.1̊F, which was +1.2̊F above average. With no tropical cyclones impacting Florida this season, our summer and fall precipitation fell short, with the exception being in the east-central coast where rainfall was above average. Statewide, average summer precipitation was -1.29 inches below average, which ranked as the 40th driest summer on record. Fall precipitation fell to -4.78 inches below average, which ranked as the 6th driest fall on record for Florida. Rainfall deficits have led to drought expansion and deterioration, with exceptional drought (D4) impacting northern Florida by season's end. With a weak La Niña in play this winter, drought is expected to persist in much of the state.
| | |
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter, and as alway feel free to reach out to us with any news, photos, or questions you may have. Thank you for your continued dedication to the CoCoRaHS program. We hope you have a safe, peaceful, and joyous holiday season!
Sincerely,
Emily Powell
epowell@coaps.fsu.edu
Ivetta Abramyan
ivetta.abramyan@fscj.edu
| | | Florida CoCoRaHS Program Summer & Fall Highlights | | During summer 2025, from June 1st - August 31st, 57,091 reports were submitted through daily and multi-day reports by our Florida observers. There were 49 significant weather reports and 154 condition monitoring reports submitted during the months of June, July and August. During fall, from September 1st - November 30th, 54,199 reports were submitted through daily and multi-day reports. There were 16 significant weather reports and 147 condition monitoring reports submitted during the months of September, October and November. | |
Fall Precipitation Patterns and Rankings
While South Florida experienced extreme drought this past spring, dry conditions shifted north during the fall affecting the Florida Panhandle and the western Peninsula, following a quiet hurricane season this year in Florida. Persistent troughs in the eastern U.S. and dominant anticyclonic steering patterns over the Atlantic Ocean kept most of the storms that developed out at sea and away from the mainland U.S. but carried much of the moisture away with them, leaving stable drier conditions in their wake. While the quiet hurricane season was most welcomed, the lack of tropical rainfall resulted in drought degradation and agricultural impacts across northern Florida.
The map below shows the rainfall departures from normal, in inches, from September 1st to November 30th using various station networks including CoCoRaHS, courtesy of the High Plains Regional Climate Center. The Panhandle and north-central Florida, as well as west-central Florida, were generally 6-10" below normal for the season. Eastern Florida saw above-average rainfall, with surpluses as much as 9+" above normal in southern Volusia and northern Brevard Counties.
| | Fall station rankings are shown in the map just below, courtesy of the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Tampa's seasonal rainfall (September-November) totaled just 1.16", which was -8.67" below normal and ranked as their driest fall on record (136 years). Sarasota received 3.04" of rain during the fall, which was -9.09" below normal and also ranked as their driest fall on record (111 years). Tallahassee's total seasonal rainfall registered at just 1.59", which was -9.66" below normal and ranked 2nd-driest fall on record (122 years). Many other stations saw one of their top 5 driest falls on record, including Crestview, Marianna, Jacksonville, Leesburg, Tarpon Springs, Lakeland, and Venice. | Fall precipitation station rankings, courtesy of the Southeast Regional Climate Center
(September 1, 2025 - November 30, 2025) | |
Much of Florida Impacted by Drought by the End of November
Following months of below normal rainfall in the Panhandle, November was dry statewide and drought expansion and degradation occurred as the month progressed. Exceptional drought (D4) was introduced by mid-month in parts of Jackson, Gadsden, Liberty, Leon, Jefferson, and Madison Counties. This is the highest (worst) level of drought designation used by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The last time this area of Florida saw exceptional drought conditions was during the 2011-2012 drought. 2012 was also the last time any portion of the state was in exceptional drought.
As of November 25 (map below), approximately 6% of the state was in exceptional drought (D4), 15% of the state was in extreme drought (D3), 9% was in severe drought (D2), and 34% of the state was in moderate drought (D1); another 17% was abnormally dry (D0), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only 20% of the state was not affected by drought or abnormally dry conditions.
| |
Rainy Season Brought Localized Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
Despite no tropical cyclones impacting the state, severe storms resulted in isolated heavy and even excessive rainfall similar to what we might see during a hurricane. A few events are highlighted below.
| | |
Mount Dora/Eustis and Cape Canaveral Areas, October 26-27
On October 26, localized heavy rainfall from a stalled frontal system generated over a foot of rain in the Eustis/Mount Dora and Cape Canaveral areas. Some isolated locations received over 18” in under 12 hours, particularly in the Eustis and Mount Dora area of northern Lake County. This amount of rain would make it a more than 1-in-1,000 year event for this area. This excessive rain led to flash flooding and significant damage in these areas, with washed out roadways and land areas. The greatest rainfall totals measured by our CoCoRaHS observers included 12.86" by Titusville 3.5 NW (BV-38) and 10.58" reported by Mount Plymouth 0.2 WSW (LK-5), who noted that it was the heaviest rainfall they had ever observed at their location in 30 years and greater than Hurricane Irma. Several other reports of 11.00" came in from observers in the Cape Canaveral area, which were likely conservative as many of these observers noted that their rain gauges had overflowed.
| | The map above shows the 24-hour CoCoRaHS rainfall observations reported on October 27, 2025 in east-central Florida. | | |
Plant City Area, July 14
A line of severe storms brought isolated heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the Plant City area on July 14, 2025. The storm brought as much as 12 inches to isolated locations with an estimated 9 inches in just a few hours. That rainfall rate registers as a 1-in-1000 year event for Plant City. Our CoCoRaHS observers in the area measured peak rainfall amounts of 8-9+ inches from this event, with surrounding areas seeing 2-4 inches (see map below).
| | The map above shows the 24-hour CoCoRaHS rainfall observations reported on June 15, 2025 in the Plant City area. | | |
Lee County Barrier Islands, August 10-11
From August 10-11, severe thunderstorms led to heavy rainfall along the barrier islands of Lee County in southwest Florida. The Tampa Bay National Weather Service Office reported a total of 11.62" in 13 hours in Sanibel during this event. This amount of rainfall in this time is considered approximately a 1-in-200 to 1-in-300 year event for this area.
| | 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Brought Powerful Storms but No U.S. Landfalls | | |
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended with a total of 13 named storms. This included 5 hurricanes with 4 of those becoming major hurricanes (category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale), representing an impressive ratio of major hurricanes to hurricanes for a season. Additionally, 3 of those major hurricanes reached category 5 strength (Erin, Humberto, and Melissa). The climatological average number of storms in a season is 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes (based on the period 1991-2020). For the first time since 2015, there were no U.S. hurricane landfalls. Only Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall in South Carolina. The eastern U.S. coast also saw dangerous surf from Hurricane Erin in mid August as the storm moved northward parallel to the coastline before taking a northeastern turn out to sea.
The strongest storm of the season was Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in southwest Jamaica on October 28 with peak sustained winds of 185 mph and a minimum central pressure of 892 mb. This makes Hurricane Melissa tied for the most powerful landfalling hurricane in the Atlantic Basin, tied with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 for pressure and tied with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Dorian (2019) for wind speed. Overall, Melissa ranks in the top 3 strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record based on both wind speed and central pressure. You can read NOAA's season summary here.
| |
Summer & Fall Extremes Across Florida CoCoRaHS
Between 1 June 2025 and 31 August 2025:
-
Highest seasonal rainfall total: 39.98" in Gulfport, Pinellas Co. (PN-87)*
-
Lowest seasonal rainfall total: 9.59" in Fernandina Beach, Nassau Co. (NS-17)*
-
Highest daily rainfall total: 10.06" reported on June 9 in Jay, Santa Rosa Co. (SR-36)
Between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025:
- Highest seasonal rainfall total: 32.38" in Vero Beach, Indian River Co. (IR-26)*
- Lowest seasonal rainfall total: 1.21" in Tallahassee, Leon Co. (LN-25)*
- Highest daily rainfall total: 12.86" reported on October 27 in Titusville, Brevard Co. (BV-38)
*Based on stations with at least 90% completeness
| |
Significant Weather Reports
Between 1 June 2025 and 30 November 2025, there were:
- 65 total Significant Weather reports submitted, including:
- 9 reports of unusual flooding
- 40 reports of minor flooding
| |
Observer Comment Corner
Observer comments are encouraged! Thanks to the many who regularly post comments with their reports. Comments provide valuable context to observations, which can be very helpful to those who later use the observations. Below are a select few of the comments shared during the past few months.
| | | 1. 15 July, Plant City 1.2 SW, Hillsborough County (HB-182) - 4.21 inches:
"The low off the E. coast of FL, which has a 40% chance to become a TD or TS out over the Gulf of America, trained rain. It started at about 3:30 p.m. and stopped just short of 8 p.m. That is 4 1/2 hours. I measured the rain at 8 and it was 4.19". That is just short of an inch an hour!!!! We only received 0.02" after 8 p.m. to the 8 a.m. reading." | | 2. 9 August, Ellenton 6.6 E, Manatee County (MA-6) - 4.01 inches:
"Showers and T-storms formed overhead and moved northwest with 3 inches in one hour, 4:10-5:10 PM." | | 3. 28 August, Ormond Beach 3.5 SE, Volusia County (VL-5) - 3.47 inches:
"WOW event! Thunderstorm about 2:30 PM dissipated over us, only some very light rain, 0.02". At 11:10 PM a heavy rain shower began. At 11:30 PM thunder joined the downpour and continued for a hour or two before tapering off. This storm added 3.45". Total for 24 hrs ending 0700 this AM = 3.47 inches." | | 4. 9 September, Fernandina Beach 2.4 S (NS-21), Nassau County - 4.72 inches:
"Lots of standing water on my property, our street and surrounding properties, including the park down the street. It was fairly windy in the late afternoon and early evening as well." | | 5. 27 October, Boca Raton 3.2 SSE, Palm Beach County (PB-129) - 8.25 inches:
"Extreme rainfall event with rain rates of over 1.5 inches in 30 mins in some portions of the event. Also major flooding was occurring with this event." | | 6. 24 November, Greenacres City 2.9 SW, Palm Beach County (PB-117) - 0.00 inches:
"Today marks 26 days since we have had any measurable precipitation." | | 7. 28 November, Live Oak 0.4 NE, Suwannee County (SW-1) - 0.00 inches:
"Dry dry dry. The National Weather Service has great extensive coverage of the drought on their regional home pages." | | |
Warm and Dry Conditions are Favored this Winter in Florida
Currently, La Niña conditions are present in the tropical equatorial Pacific Ocean. La Niña is favored to continue for the next month or two, with a transition to ENSO-neutral likely in January-March 2026 (68% chance). A typical La Niña-like pattern may continue this winter for Florida and the southern U.S. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's outlook for the rest of this winter is leaning warmer than normal on average, December-February, in Florida and across the southern tier of the U.S. Precipitation is leaning below normal in Florida, particularly across northern Florida.
| | New Annual Rain Gauge Rally Dates: April 1 - 30 | | There is a change coming in 2026. For the past 18 years, our annual CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Rally contest has been held during March. There have been many requests over the years to change the month. After consulting with coordinators and others, CoCoRaHS has decided to move its annual contest to April, starting in 2026. | | New Dates for CoCoRaHS Hail Week: March 16 - 22 | | CoCoRaHS will be moving back its Hail Week to March this year. The dates are March 16-22, 2026. Hail week raises awareness of hail, including how to measure and report hail. View information from our last hail week here, and visit the CoCoRaHS hail page to learn more about this phenomenon. | | CoCoRaHS 2025 Annual Fundraiser | |
| | The holiday giving season is upon us, and a small gift can go a long way in helping CoCoRaHS meet this year’s goal of $300,000 by January 11th. Every donation is greatly appreciated and will help sustain the network in 2026. To learn more and donate, visit: https://give.colostate.edu/cocorahs-2025. | | | | | | |
