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Understanding the wet season variations over Florida

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Abstract

The wet season of Florida is well defined and is invariably centered in the boreal summer season of June–July–August. In this observational study we objectively define the Length of the Wet Season (LOWS) for Florida and examine its variations with respect to El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Warm Pool (AWP). Our study reveals that ENSO variability has a profound influence on the LOWS especially over south Florida and parts of panhandle Florida prior to 1976. In the post-1976 era the influence of ENSO has significantly diminished. Our results show that in this pre-1976 era, warm (cold) ENSO events in the boreal winter are followed by long (short) LOWS over the region. This variation is consistent with warm (cold) ENSO events influencing early (late) onset of the wet season in the region. There is significant relationship of the LOWS in south and northeast Florida with the variation of the AWP. Unlike the teleconnection with ENSO the relationship of the demise of the wet season with AWP is stronger in the post-1976 period compared to the pre-1976 period. Furthermore the variability of the LOWS has increased in the post-1976 period.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NOAA grant NA07OAR4310221, USGS grant 06HQGR0125, USDA, and CDC grant 5U01EH000421. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the acknowledged funding agencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

    Vasubandhu Misra

  2. Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

    Vasubandhu Misra & S. M. DiNapoli

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  1. Vasubandhu Misra
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  2. S. M. DiNapoli
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Correspondence to Vasubandhu Misra.

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Misra, V., DiNapoli, S.M. Understanding the wet season variations over Florida. Clim Dyn 40, 1361–1372 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1382-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1382-4

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