ORLANDO, Fla. – November was unusual, to say the least, in the weather department for Central Florida.
What is typically the start of the dry and comfy season in the Sunshine State was anything but.
First things first, the dry season doesn’t mean it is going to be dry, it just means that the daily afternoon storms generated by the sea breeze have come to end.
Florida still gets rain during the dry season but is typically more spread out and it’s delivered by cold fronts.
Even so, November was uncharacteristically wet and cloudy in Central Florida.
Daytona Beach and Sanford both saw the fourth wettest November on record.
Orlando saw its seventh wettest November on record, while Leesburg observed its ninth wettest.
Melbourne saw its 11th wettest November.
The reason for the gloominess can be summed up in two words: El Niño.
El Niño typically induces a more active subtropical jet stream during the cool season. This jet stream acts as a conveyer belt, transporting disturbances and moisture from the Pacific and Gulf right on through the southern tier of the country, including Florida.
With this jet stream more active when compared to a non El Niño year, the weather in Florida tends to be more active. This was on full display during the month, especially during the week to 10 days leading up to Thanksgiving, bringing rounds of heavy rain and persistent thick cloud cover across the state.
This pattern is expected to continue through the cooler months, so expect more clouds, rain and even the potential for severe weather as we move deeper into winter.