HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
530 AM EDT FRI JUN 13 2008
...INTERIOR AND WEST COAST AREAS REMAIN IN A MODERATE TO SEVERE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS...
...FAR WESTERN EAST COAST METRO AREAS NOW IN ABNORMALLY DRY
CONDITIONS...
SYNOPSIS...
A UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS MOVED WEST AND THROUGH
SOUTH FLORIDA DURING THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN JUNE. THIS KEPT
SOUTH FLORIDA DRY FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE...AND THEN ALLOWED FOR
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE AREA FOR THE
SECOND WEEK OF JUNE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM ONE TO THREE
INCHES OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA DURING THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF
JUNE...EXCEPT 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN INTERIOR AREAS.
HERE ARE SOME YEARLY RAINFALL TOTALS...NORMALS...AND DEPARTURES FROM
NORMAL ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THE 16 MONTH PERIOD COVERING FROM
JANUARY 1, 2007 TO JUNE 12, 2008...AND THE WET SEASON OF 2008.
AIRPORTS 17 MONTH : 17 MONTH : WET : WET
TOTALS DEPARTURES SEASON SEASON
2008 TOTAL 2008 DEP.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL : 81.01 : 4.11 : 3.43 : -2.35
FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL : 75.99 : -13.13 : 3.97 : -3.70
PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL : 85.98 : 2.43 : 3.00 : -2.29
NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT : 46.29 : -21.09 : 3.00 : -0.89
SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES
IMMOKALEE : 57.02 : -8.45 : 1.83 : -1.17
DEVILS GARDEN : 51.84 : -8.60 : 3.38 : +0.38
CLEWISTON : 48.25 : -11.90 : 1.27 : -1.73
BELLE GLADE : 62.65 : -9.40 : 1.35 : -1.65
MOORE HAVEN LOCK : 44.38 : -18.01 : 2.00 : -1.00
FLAMINGO RANGER STATION : 57.31 : -8.67 : 1.36 : -1.65
MIAMI BEACH : 88.23 : 17.11 : 0.25 : -2.62
AS A RESULT...THE EASTERN INTERIOR AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA REMAIN IN A
MODERATE DROUGHT STATUS (D1)...WHILE WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA
INCLUDING THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA REMAIN IN A SEVERE DROUGHT STATUS
(D2). MOST OF EAST COAST METRO AREAS REMAIN OUT OF A DROUGHT
STATUS...EXCEPT FOR THE FAR WESTERN AREAS WHICH ARE NOW IN A
ABNORMALLY DRY STATUS (D0).
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS...
SOME OF THE EAST COAST WELLS ARE STILL FALLING DURING THE FIRST HALF
OF JUNE AND WAS NEAR THE LOWEST 10 PERCENT LEVELS ESPECIALLY OVER THE
FAR WESTERN AREAS...WHILE REST OF THE EAST COAST WELLS ARE STILL
FALLING INTO THE 10 TO 30 PERCENT BELOW NORMAL LEVELS. WELLS ACROSS
INTERIOR SECTIONS WERE IN THE 10 TO 30 PERCENT BELOW NORMAL
LEVELS...WHILE THE WELLS AROUND LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND THE WEST COAST
AREAS REMAIN BELOW THE 10 PERCENT LEVEL.
THE UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS ARE AT ADEQUATE LEVELS OVER THE EASTERN
AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA...WHILE THE WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA
ARE BELOW NORMAL LEVELS. THE LEVEL OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE FELL TO AROUND
9.32 FEET...WHICH IS NOW ABOUT HALF A FOOT FROM THE RECORD LOW OF
8.82 FEET SET BACK IN EARLY JULY OF 2007. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 4 FEET
BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...
THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA WAS BETWEEN 400
AND 550...EXCEPT 300 TO 400 IN COLLIER AND WEST PALM BEACH COUNTIES.
THIS INDICATES THAT THE FIRE DANGER IS NOW IN THE MODERATE RANGE FOR
MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA...EXCEPT LOW RANGE IN COLLIER AND WEST PALM
BEACH COUNTIES.
RESPONSE/ACTIONS...
THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HAS KEPT THE WATER
RESTRICTION AT A PHASE II OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA. THE ONLY
EXCEPTION IS AROUND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA WHICH IS IN A PHASE III
WATER RESTRICTION DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THIS WILL
LIMIT MOST RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WATER USAGE TO TWICE A
WEEK...EXCEPT ONCE A WEEK AROUND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA.
OUTLOOK...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTH
FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND...AS DRIER AIR WORKS INTO THE AREA FROM THE
NORTH BEHIND THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING EAST INTO THE ATLANTIC
WATERS. EARLY NEXT WEEK...A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW
PRESSURE WILL SET UP OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS WILL FOCUS
THE HIGHEST ACTIVITY ALONG THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT
14 DAYS IS FOR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL. THE LONGER TERM OUTLOOK
THROUGH REST OF JULY CONTINUES TO CALL FOR EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE OR
BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL.
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE AROUND THE END OF JUNE UNLESS CONDITIONS
CHANGE BEFORE THEN. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL
MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.
BAXTER