DROUGHT CONDITIONS FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE and SOUTHWEST AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

[Beth n Rod]

Drought Statement: NWS Miami, FL

HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
200 PM EDT FRI NOV 9 2007 ...SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA AND MODERATE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHWEST AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA... SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT MOVED INTO SOUTH FLORIDA FROM THE GULF OF
MEXICO...BEFORE STALLING OUT OVER THE EASTERN AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA
LATE IN OCTOBER. THIS ALLOWED DRY AIR TO WORK INTO THE WESTERN AREAS
OF SOUTH FLORIDA...BUT KEPT THE EASTERN AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN
THE MOIST AIR. IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS OF NOVEMBER...TROPICAL STORM NOEL MOVED
NORTHWARD EAST OF FLORIDA. THIS AGAIN HELPED TO KEEP THE WESTERN
AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN THE DRY AIR...BUT ALLOWED FOR THE EASTERN
AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA TO BE IN THE MOIST AIR. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA DURING THIS TIME RANGED FROM A
1 TO 3 OVER THE INTERIOR AND WEST COAST AREAS TO 4 TO 7 INCHES OVER
THE EAST COAST AREAS. HERE ARE SOME YEARLY RAINFALL TOTALS...NORMALS...AND DEPARTURES FROM
NORMAL ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA SO FAR FOR 2007 AND THE 10 MONTH PERIOD
COVERING FROM JANUARY 1, 2006 TO NOVEMBER 8, 2007. AIRPORTS 2007 YEARLY : 2007 YEARLY : RAINY : RAINY
TOTALS DEPARTURES SEASON SEASON
2007 TOTAL 2007 DEP. MIAMI INTERNATIONAL : 62.67 : 8.63 : 46.69 : 8.04
FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL : 53.25 : -5.11 : 43.54 : 3.86
PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL : 60.92 : 6.71 : 53.04 : 17.75
NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT : 34.03 : -14.91 : 27.61 : -8.89 SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES IMMOKALEE : 36.77 : -5.97 : 31.63 : -1.32
DEVILS GARDEN : 33.92 : -8.25 : 26.48 : -2.20
CLEWISTON : 39.97 : -8.81 : 33.77 : -0.70
BELLE GLADE : 44.86 : -7.83 : 39.14 : -0.29
FLAMINGO RANGER STATION : 41.68 : -4.19 : 33.93 : 2.05
MIAMI BEACH : 60.06 : 17.64 : 4.89 : 12.00 THEREFORE...THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA INCLUDING GLADES AND HENDRY
COUNTIES REMAIN IN A SEVERE DROUGHT STATUS (D2). THE NORTHERN AND
WESTERN AREAS OF COLLIER COUNTY HAS BEEN CUT BACK TO A MODERATE
DROUGHT (D1)...DUE TO A LITTLE BIT MORE RAINFALL OCCURRING OVER THIS
AREA THAN AROUND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA. WESTERN PALM BEACH COUNTY
AND THE NORTHERN EVERGLADES REMAIN IN A ABNORMALLY DRY STATUS
(D0)...WHILE THE EAST COAST AND THE SOUTHERN EVERGLADES AREAS REMAIN
OUT OF THE DROUGHT STATUS. HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS... WELLS ACROSS INTERIOR AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA ARE
STILL RUNNING AT 10 TO 30 PERCENT BELOW NORMAL LEVELS...WHILE THE
EAST COAST WELLS REMAIN 10 TO 30 PERCENT ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS.
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 REMAINED AROUND 10
FEET FOR THE SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER. THIS IS STILL ABOUT 5 FEET
BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. FIRE DANGER IMPACTS... THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX DURING THE SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER WAS
100 TO 200 ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA...EXCEPT IN GLADES COUNTY
WERE IT WAS 450 TO 550. THIS INDICATES THAT THE FIRE DANGER IS LOW
OVER THE AREA...EXCEPT MODERATE OVER GLADES COUNTY. NEVERTHELESS...THERE IS A CONTINUED FIRE THREAT OVER THE INTERIOR
AND WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA UNTIL GROUND MOISTURE LEVELS
INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY. PEOPLE IN THE INTERIOR AND WEST COAST AREAS
ARE ADVISED TO BE SAFE WITH OUTSIDE BURNING DUE TO THE LONG TERM
DROUGHT CONDITIONS. RESPONSE/ACTIONS... DESPITE THE RAINS OF THE 2007 RAINY SEASON...THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER
MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HAS KEPT MOST OF THE EAST COAST IN A PHASE TWO
WATER RESTRICTION...AND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA IN A PHASE THREE
WATER RESTRICTION DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL OF LAKE. THIS LIMITS MOST
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WATER USAGE TO TWICE A WEEK...EXCEPT ONCE
A WEEK FOR THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA. OUTLOOKS... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES WILL KEEP A
NORTHERLY WIND FLOW ALONG WITH MOSTLY DRY WEATHER OVER SOUTH FLORIDA
THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR NOVEMBER
CALLS FOR AN EQUAL CHANCE OF ABOVE OR BELOW NORMAL CONDITIONS.
THIS USUALLY MEANS THAT SOUTH FLORIDA WILL SEE NEAR NORMAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS FOR NOVEMBER. DESPITE THE RECENT RAINS WHICH ARE TYPICAL OF SOUTH FLORIDA DURING
THE RAINY SEASON...AN IMMEDIATE END TO THE DROUGHT IS NOT EXPECTED
DUE TO THE LA NINA CONDITIONS SETTING UP ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA THIS
WINTER INTO SPRING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES. BAXTER