South Florida Rain to Ease Dryness, Raise Flooding Risk

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

December 3,2015; 10:37PM,EST

 

 

Through at least Friday, rain will soak South Florida and raise the risk of flooding, while erasing much of the long-term rainfall deficit.
A general 2 to 4 inches of rain will fall with locally 6 inches on the Keys and the southern counties of the peninsula through Friday.
Enough rain will fall to cause urban and low-lying area flooding. Cities in South Florida that could experience flooding include Miami, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Key West.
The downpours will hinder travel and disrupt outdoor activities.

The rain is coming at a time when Florida begins to experience dry weather much more often, when compared to the summer months.
Miami typically receives about 2 inches of rain during the entire month of December. The city may receive two to three times that amount of rain through Friday night. From Jan. 1 through Dec. 2, 2015, Miami has received 52.75 inches of rain, which is shy of the average of 60 inches.
Naples, Florida, typically receives an average of about 1.50 inches of rain for December. Through Dec. 2, rainfall for the city is only about 72 percent of the normal of 50.50 inches.
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The rain is being produced by a very slow-moving cool front. Typically during December, fronts tend to move swiftly through the Florida Peninsula and produce only minimal rainfall.
The lagging front is part of the pattern responsible for well-above average temperatures in Florida and much of the eastern half of the nation during November; a warm pattern that is likely to continue well into the winter.
During the weekend, the front will sag farther south over the Florida Straits and dissolve.

However, the departure of the front will not mark an end to the rainfall. An easterly flow will promote showers and thunderstorms. While most of these will be more spotty and brief in nature, a few communities could be hit with repeating torrential downpours.
There is the potential for an additional 1-2 inches of rain in part of South Florida and the Keys during the weekend.