You might think of Florida as dry in the winter and wet in the summer, but that’s not always the case.
During a strong El Niño, Florida has a higher likelihood of getting above-normal rainfall during the winter months.
January was a wet month for the Tampa Bay region. We had the sixth wettest January on record in Tampa with 6.18 inches of rain last month. That’s almost four inches above normal.
St. Petersburg had its third wettest January on record with more than seven inches of rain last month.
There are several more chances of rain on the way this week, but why?
The current warm Pacific Ocean waters favor a jet stream across the Gulf of Mexico with the storm track over Florida.
The wet weather pattern happens when areas of low pressure develop in the Gulf of Mexico and move east to Florida and the southeastern U.S. This can happen several times during a week or two, bringing chances of rain to our area every few days.
Today, rain is likely as showers and thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico spread across the Tampa Bay area.
Another chance of rain begins Saturday afternoon and lingers through Sunday morning.
Next week, there is another chance of rain before yet another cold front moves across Tampa Bay.
Be sure to watch Bay News 9 for Klystron 9 and the weather forecast every day and check out our 7 day forecast here.