ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — We are finally through the rainy season!
According to the National Weather Service, the rainy season across the Tampa Bay area runs from May 25 to Oct 10. Our friends to the south across southwest Florida have a bit longer of a rainy season from May 15 to Oct 15. The four months between June and September produce around 55 to 70 percent of our annual rainfall.
These dates are given as a general guideline, not as an official date for every year. Each year will be different with some years turning drier sooner and some years staying wetter a bit longer.
Across the Tampa area, we have been off to a very dry start to October ever since Hurricane Ian moved through the region and pushed dry air southward. With moisture increasing and a cold front heading our way, a rainy pattern will develop for the next few days.
This is very typical for this time of year. Late September into early October is known as the "wind down" phase. This marks the time of year when rainfall patterns tend to have large variability.
Cold fronts and tropical systems can increase rain chances, while pushes of dry air can lead to sunny and less humid days.
This October
The dry season seemed to start once as October started this year. At Tampa International Airport, there has only been a trace of rainfall so far this October, from the 1st to the 11th.
With a cold front moving in, we will see higher rain chances Wednesday and Thursday. Between the two days, most areas will see up to a half inch, but higher amounts will be possible in some areas.
Drier weather is then expected to return behind the front. That will bring back more sunshine for the weekend into early next week.
Looking toward November
October tends to be a transition month from the wet to the dry season, but November is typically a dry month. In fact, we average our lowest monthly rainfall in November at 1.40 inches.
Average highs also drop in November from the low 80s to the mid-70s!
