Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Melbourne, FL

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NOUS42 KMLB 041926
PNSMLB

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
326 PM EDT Thu Apr 4 2024

...March 2024 Was Warmer Than Normal and Mostly Drier Than Normal
Across East Central Florida...

Only a handful of cold fronts moved through central Florida into
March, and a majority of these boundaries were rather weak, with any
periods of cooler weather being limited and short-lived. This led to
average temperatures for the month being a few degrees warmer than
normal, and ranking March 2024 within the top 15 warmest on record
at most sites. These fronts and an area of low pressure that crossed
the state during the latter half of the month did bring some
rainfall to the area. However, overall amounts were fairly meager,
especially south of Lake and Volusia counties where monthly totals
ended up around 1 to 3 inches below normal for March.


...Temperatures...

Warmer than normal conditions started off the month, with highs
during the first several days ranging from the mid 70s to low 80s
across the region, and lows remaining quite mild in the 60s. A weak
front briefly crossed the area on the 7th, but lifted back north as
a warm front on the 8th continuing above normal temperatures. In
fact, the warmest temperatures for the month occurred one day later
on the 9th, with highs climbing to the upper 80s to around 90
degrees, and lows that morning in the upper 60s to low 70s. For many
sites across the area, these values either tied or broke both their
high and warm low records for the date. In fact, the low of 72
degrees at both Leesburg and Sanford on the 9th also tied for the
warmest minimum temperature on record for March at both sites.

A cold front then moved through on the 10th, and finally brought
some cooler temperatures into central Florida, with lows falling
into the 50s for a couple days following, and highs on the 11th in
the upper 60s to mid 70s. However, temperatures only quickly warmed
up from there, with highs back in the 80s and lows in the 60s by mid-
month. A few daily high and warm minimum temperature records were
set across the area from the 16th through the 18th, before a
stronger cold front pushed through late on the 18th. This front
ushered in the coolest air during the month, with highs dropping to
the upper 60s to low 70s on the 19th and lows falling into the 40s
areawide on the morning of the 20th. This drop in temperatures was
once again short-lived though, with near to above normal daily
average temperatures occurring through the remainder of the month,
as highs typically lingered in the 70s and 80s and lows in the 50s
and 60s.

With only a couple brief cool downs, average temperatures for the
month ended up warmer than normal by 3 to 4 degrees. While, March
2024 only broke into the top ten warmest rankings at Sanford (tied
as 7th warmest March on record), it was close at other sites, with
it being the 11th warmest on record at Leesburg, Orlando, and Vero
Beach, and 13th warmest on record at Daytona Beach and Melbourne.


Daily Record Temperatures for the Month:

Daytona Beach:
- March 9th: Record high of 87 degrees. Previous record was 85
degrees last set in 2022. Also, set record warm low of 72 degrees.
Previous record was 66 degrees last set in 2022.

Leesburg:
- March 9th: Record high of 88 degrees. Previous record was 87
degrees last set in 1991. Also, set record warm low of 72 degrees.
Previous record was 67 degrees last set in 2022. This also tied for
the warmest minimum temperature on record for March at this site,
last set on March 26th, 2023.
- March 17th: Tied record warm low of 68 degrees last set in 2014.

Sanford:
- March 9th: Tied record high of 89 degrees last set in 1974. Also,
set record warm low of 72 degrees. Previous record was 67 degrees
last set in 2022. This also tied for the warmest minimum temperature
on record for March at this site, last set on March 21st, 2003.
- March 16th: Tied record warm low of 68 degrees last set in 2001.

Orlando:
- March 9th: Record high of 90 degrees. Previous record was 89
degrees last set in 1905. Also, set record warm low of 72 degrees.
Previous record was 69 degrees last set in 2022.
- March 18th: Record warm low of 69 degrees. Previous record was 68
degrees last set in 1943.

Melbourne:
- March 9th: Record warm low of 72 degrees. Previous record was 70
degrees last set in 2023.

Vero Beach:
- March 9th: Tied record high of 90 degrees last set in 2003. Also,
tied record warm low of 70 degrees last set in 2022.
- March 18th: Tied record high of 89 degrees last set in 2021.

Fort Pierce:
- No daily temperature records set or tied.


Average temperatures for March 2024 at the primary climate sites
across east central Florida are as follows (rankings provided if in
the top 10):

- Daytona Beach had a monthly average temperature of 68.8 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.6 degrees above normal.

- Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 69.7 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.1 degrees above normal.

- Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 70.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.5 degrees above normal. This ties March 2016
as the 7th warmest March on record at this site, with records
extending back to 1948.

- Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 71.7 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.4 degrees above normal.

- Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 70.5 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.1 degrees above normal.

- Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 71.2 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.2 degrees above normal.

- Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 70.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 3.0 degrees above normal.


...Rainfall...

Increasing moisture and a passing disturbance aloft led to scattered
to numerous showers and storms developing across the region on the
3rd of March, with a few stronger storms occurring. Greatest
rainfall was across the interior and across Lake and Volusia
counties, with totals between 0.50 to 2.00 inches. Additional
showers and storms crossed central Florida ahead of a passing cold
front on the 6th, but totals were lower, typically around a quarter
of an inch or less. Numerous to widespread showers and isolated
storms then preceded another cold front on the 10th, with greatest
rainfall amounts again occurring across Lake and Volusia counties,
up to around 1 to 2 inches, and significantly lower totals farther
south.

A much drier period then followed for several days through
mid-month, with little to no rainfall from the 11th through the
17th. Another cold front generated isolated to scattered showers and
storms on the 18th, but more widespread rainfall crossed the area on
the 22nd as an area of low pressure crossed central Florida and
exited off the east central Florida coast early on the 23rd.
Greatest totals from this system were across the interior from
Osceola County northward through Lake County, with amounts between
0.50 to 1.50 inches. For much of the rest of March, drier conditions
largely prevailed outside of some developing lighter rainfall from
scattered showers and isolated storms ahead of a passing cold front
on the 28th.

Rainfall totals for March 2024 ranged from around 3 to 5 inches
across northern Lake and Volusia counties, which was near to
slightly above normal for the month. However, farther south amounts
were lower, from around 1 to 2 inches across the interior, and as
low as around a half an inch to an inch along the coast from
southern Brevard County southward through northern Martin County.
These precipitation values were lower than normal, with deficits as
high as 2 to 3 inches below normal where rainfall was less than an
inch toward the coast.


Daily Record Rainfall for the Month:

Daytona Beach:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Leesburg:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Sanford:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Orlando:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Melbourne:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Vero Beach:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.

Fort Pierce:
- No daily record rainfalls set or tied.


March 2024 rainfall totals for the primary climate sites across
east central Florida are as follows (ranking provided if in the top
10):

- Daytona Beach received 3.39 inches of rain for the month, which
was 0.24 inches below normal.

- Leesburg received 3.77 inches of rain for the month, which was
0.55 inches above normal.

- Sanford received 1.36 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.49
inches below normal.

- Orlando received 1.39 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.64
inches below normal.

- Melbourne received 0.63 inches of rain for the month, which was
2.06 inches below normal.

- Vero Beach received 0.59 inches of rain for the month, which was
2.85 inches below normal.

- Fort Pierce received 0.68 inches of rain for the month, which was
2.20 inches below normal.


Below is a list of observed precipitation totals and rainfall
statistics for select sites across east central Florida for
March 2024:

Station        March 2024      Normal      Departure    Percent of
                Rainfall      Rainfall    From Normal     Normal

Daytona Beach    3.39"         3.63"        -0.24"         93%
(DAB)
Orlando          1.39"         3.03"        -1.64"         46%
(MCO)
Melbourne        0.63"         2.69"        -2.06"         23%
(MLB)
Vero Beach       0.59"         3.44"        -2.85"         17%
(VRB)
Clermont*        1.66"         3.20"        -1.54"         52%
(CLRF1)
Leesburg         3.77"         3.22"        +0.55"        117%
(LEE)
DeLand*          3.68"         3.54"        +0.14"        104%
(DELF1)
Sanford          1.36"         2.85"        -1.49"         48%
(SFB)
Titusville*      2.64"         3.37"        -0.73"         78%
(TITF1)
Fort Pierce      0.68"         2.88"        -2.20"         24%
(FPR)
Stuart*          0.71"         3.76"        -3.05"         19%
(STRF1)

*Rainfall totals for the month end around 7 AM on the 31st.

For more local climate information, please visit our web page at
http://weather.gov/mlb and click on the "Climate" icon toward the
bottom of the page.

$$

Weitlich
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