S. Florida sees driest November on record

However, cold front next week could bring rain, thunderstorms.

L a s t month was t h e d r i e s t November on record from Orlando to the Keys, the South Florida Water Management District said Friday.

The district reported only 0.14 of an inch of rain across its 16-county region. That’s 2.15 inches below average and marks an auspicious start to Florida’s dry season, which runs through May.

Thi s weekend, Palm Beach County could see a few coastal showers, but “a big change” could happen next week when a cold front moves through the area. It could bring showers and thunderstorms along with it, according to Arlena Moses, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The last time South Florida had a large amount of rain- fall was in October when Hurricane Matthew slammed the East Coast and brought 1 to 3 inches of rain, with larger amounts falling on coastal areas east of Orlando.

In November, coast al Palm Beach County saw only 0.3 of an inch of rain, which is 3.2 inches below average. Martin and St. Lucie County had only 0.32 of an inch, down 2.61 inches from what they usually experience in November.

Eastern Broward County and Miami-Dade County had slightly more rainfall, with Broward reaching 0.88 of an inch and Miami Dade 0.59 of an inch. Both amounts are still more than 2 inches below their average rainfall this time of year.

All of it is a far cry from January, when Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties saw 9.09 inches of rain, more than 6 inches above normal.

“During the same year, South Florida moved from record wet conditions in January to record