ORLANDO, Fla. – La Niña has made headlines recently as it is expected to rapidly develop this summer, and its emergence could significantly impact the 2024 hurricane season.
For now, though, El Niño is hanging on, meaning more gloomy and stormy days for the Sunshine State.
Meteorological spring — March, April and May — begins Friday. Over that three-month period, rainfall is expected to be above normal.
Astronomical spring begins March 19.
An active storm track is typical during an El Niño spring.
As temperatures rise through spring, instability — the fuel needed for thunderstorms — also rises. With a stronger-than-normal subtropical jet stream, there is added wind shear in the atmosphere for storms to work with.
Wind shear promotes the development of severe thunderstorms.
Temperatures as a whole should be near normal, but there will be cool days with extra clouds and elevated rain chances through spring.
Look for mid- to late March for a shot of cooler air to spill into Florida.