FLORIDA
A
Study of the Climate
The
fact that
Florida
is a
peninsula and is surrounded by the Gulf
of Mexico in both the west and south, and the
Atlantic
Ocean in the east, is the most important determinant
in the
climate of the state.
In the region to
the north of
Lake Okeechobee,
the prevailing
climate is subtropical and humid. On the other hand, to the south of
the
Lake, the
climate is unmistakably tropical.
In so far as
temperature is concerned, the state seldom experiences conditions that
exceed
100 degrees F (38 degrees C). In fact, it is quite common for summer
temperatures in much of the state to exceed 90 degrees F (32 degrees C).
During
late autumn and
winter, the entire state can
experience high winds and
colder
temperatures due to cold fronts which can occasionally sweep in from
the ocean.
In terms of
temperature extremes, the highest temperature ever recorded in the
Florida was 109 degree F (43
degree C), recorded on June
29, 1931 in
Monticello,
a city in
Jefferson
County.
Conversely, the lowest
temperature ever recorded in
the state was
–2 degree F (−19
degree C), recorded on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles away, in
Tallahassee.
In
late July, the mean high
temperatures are predominantly in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–35 °C).
Alternatively, in late January, the mean low temperatures are primarily
in the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7 °C)
in
northern
Florida,
increasing to the mid-50s
(~13 °C) in southern
Florida.
In
Florida,
the main influence on the seasons
is not temperature but precipitation, in the form of rain and snow.
Accordingly, the wet season is in the spring and summer, which tend to
be hot
and wet. Conversely, the dry season is in the autumn and winter, which
are
normally cool or mild and relatively dry.
Consider
the climate of the Florida
Keys which constitute an archipelago of about 1700 islands situated in
the
southeast
United States.
The Keys begin at the southeastern tip of the
Florida
peninsula, some 15 miles south of
Miami,
and spread out, initially south-southwest, and then westward to
Key West,
the westernmost
point of those islands that are inhabited. Therefore, since the Keys
are
surrounded on all sides by water, their climate is tropical with fairly
uniform
temperatures. In the case of
Key West,
for example, temperatures rarely exceed 90 °F (32 °C)
in the summer
months nor do they fall below 60 °F (16 °C) in the
winter. In fact,
records show that there has never been a frost in the Keys.
The
following chart summarises
the seasonal high and low monthly temperatures, in degrees F, of
Key West and
Miami:
Jan
Mar May July Sept Nov
Key West 75/65 79/69 85/76 89/80 88/78 80/71
Miami 76/60 80/64 86/72 90/77 88/76 81/67
Attractions
– How To Succeed
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Articles with Websites on a wide range
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Articles cover
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Religion, Climate in Detail,
1920’s Property Boom.
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