ORLANDO, Fla. – After experiencing the eighth hottest summer on record in Central Florida, a change in seasons would be a welcome change for many. And although Central Florida doesn’t have obvious change of seasons between summer and fall, there is a change in another way.
What is dry season?
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While the rest of the country is divided by four very different seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall, Central Florida is broken up in two main seasons, dry and wet.
Usually, the dry season kicks into gear once a strong front pushes through the area, bringing with it drier and slightly cooler weather. While the seasonal switch brings down humidity and temperatures, it’s the elimination of daily sea-breeze storms that makes it truly the “dry” season.
The earliest start to dry season ever was back on September 27, 2006, and the latest start was November 7, 1971.
Average dry season start dates
On average, our dry season runs from mid-October through the end of May. This means dry season, on average, is about 223 days.
- Orlando: Oct. 15
- Daytona Beach: Oct. 15
- Sanford: Oct. 15
- Melbourne: Oct. 17
Dry season start dates in Orlando (past 5 years)
For the past few years, the dry season start date has been behind the average. For the past two years, the change has happened around Halloween.
- 2020: October 30
- 2019: November 1
- 2018: October 12
- 2017: October 24
- 2016: October 19