ORLANDO, Fla. – It probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise that 2021 is on track to being one of the hottest years on record across many spots in Central Florida.
One of the most noticeable change this year comes with the amount of 90-plus degree days we have experienced.
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To put it into perspective, on average Orlando International Airport sees about 97 days in which daytime highs peaked at 90 degrees or higher. As of mid October, Orlando has already racked up 127 days. That means we’ve seen a month’s worth of 90-degree days more than the average this year, with 31 days above the average.
From January through March, Orlando saw a break from the 90-degree heat, but by mid-April, the trend climbed quickly with a gradual decline starting in October.
By the middle part of October, our transition into our next “seasons” usually begins.
One of those seasons is defined by how much rain we receive. This is called the “Dry Season.” The criteria for this to start includes a drop in our daily rain coverage and humidity levels.
During a typical year, it starts around October 16 in Orlando. Daytona Beach and Sanford start a littler later, and Melbourne starts on October 28.
Also in mid-October, Central Floridians begin the gradual decrease in overnight temperatures. This is what we call Florida’s “cooler season.”
Usually, this season starts with the first time we dip below 60 degrees overnight. This season tends to runs hand in hand with the start of “Dry Season,” as it usually happens with the passage of our first strong front of the season.
Unfortunately, the start of these two seasons can fluctuate depending on the year. The earliest onset of “Dry Season” was late September in 2006, with the latest onset in early November 1971.