Will Miami set temperature or rain records on the holiday weekend? Weather is changing
St. Patrick’s Day on Friday will come with clear skies, high temperatures in the low to mid-80s and lows in the lower 70s. It’ll be breezy, too, with winds veering out of the southeast around 20 mph.
Then the view for springbreakers should turn gloomy over the weekend into Monday as a front brings the first real chance for rain and storms in months, along with elevated rip currents along east coast beaches.
South Florida is looking at rain and thunderstorm chances at 80% on Saturday and 90% Sunday and remaining high Monday at 70%.
Here are some other things to know about the South Florida weather:
ARE WE IN A DROUGHT?
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of interior Miami-Dade range from abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. The eastern Miami area is just outside the map’s abnormally dry range. As one heads north, the conditions move into the abnormally dry to moderate drought cateService
gories in Broward to even severe drought in interior portions of Palm Beach County.
The entire Central Florida map, including the southwest coast and Orlando area is shaded in the moderate drought category. Monroe, Collier and Hendry counties are even drier and considered in a period of severe drought.
WHAT THE RAIN MIGHT DO
The increased cloud coverage will keep highs in the mid- to upper 80s and lows in the mid- to upper 60s, said Shawn Bhatti, of the National Weather
in Miami.
“Late Saturday through Sunday it will be pretty nasty as far as a pretty good amount of rainfall — which we do need across the region,” Bhatti said. “It’s been pretty dry recently so this will be fairly welcomed. Especially because this tends to be like our peak fire season. So this could kind of quell some of those concerns. Hopefully.”
Then, it’ll be muggy and cool Sunday into Monday, with highs around 77 and lows about 68 due to the cloud coverage and some northerly winds.
Tuesday could bring lingering showers — about 40% — and temperatures in the 70s as the front clears out by Wednesday.
WILL TEMPERATURE RECORDS FALL?
Don’t expect the St. Patrick’s Day weekend to break any high or low temperature records, according to NOAA daily records.
The hottest March 17
●
in Miami on record was 88 in 2014.
The coldest March 17
●
in Miami was 39 in 1901.
The hottest March 18
●
and 19 in Miami on record was 90 in 2003.
The coldest March 18
●
was 40 in 1902.
The coldest March 19
●
was 46 in 1901.
WILL RAIN RECORDS FALL?
In terms of breaking rain records in Miami, we’ll need some big soakers.
March 17 rain record:
●
3 inches has to fall on Friday to match the March 17 St. Patrick’s Day record of 1993.
March 18 rain record:
●
3.54 inches to match 1929.
March 19 rain record:
● 1.59 inches to match