Although parts of the U.S. have been under Heat Advisories for long stretches at a time recently, Florida typically isn’t affected with those types of temperature fluctuations, at least not in the summer.


What You Need To Know

  • Florida's climate is different than the rest of the U.S.

  • The climate pattern changes throughout the year

  • Latitude is the cause

Florida is at a unique latitude for climate. In the late fall through spring, Florida often gets cold fronts and warm fronts like the rest of the country. But we do not get fronts in the summer. Our weather patterns are unique to the rest of the country this time of year.

It starts with the general global weather patterns. Florida is generally in the middle of the “trade winds” and the “westerlies.” The westerlies are more dominant in the winter (cold fronts make it into Florida from the north or northwest), and the trade winds are more dominant in the summer, making Florida subtropical.

Trade winds are why hurricanes come in from the east or southeast. Our prevailing wind pattern in the summer is east to southeast. We don’t get any fronts in the summer, so the daily sea breeze drives our stormy pattern.

As the jet stream latitude fluctuates through the year, that dividing line of prevailing winds shifts north or south.

So, south Florida has more days in the trade winds than Tampa Bay, and the climate overall is milder there. But the dividing climate “line” is not a hard line. It shifts through the seasons. 

But if you have a keen eye on vegetation, you can “see” the change in climate if you drive to south Florida, or drive to north Florida. Watch where the different types of palm trees grow, and where they don’t.

Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.