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Handbook
Climate
Almost 80% of south Florida's
rain falls between May and October
South Florida has a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and hot (May-Oct) and dry and mild (Nov-April) seasons. Eighty percent of the 140 cm (55 in.) of rain that falls each year falls in the wet season, mostly in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. Historically summer was also the time of fires ignited by lightning from these storms. Although many people see the need to prevent and control fire, many plants and animals in south Florida are adapted to and in some cases even require fire to survive (Maehr 1997). Deer are attracted to recently burned areas and get mineral nourishment in the ash and feast on the flush of tender new growth that sprouts just days after a fire. Sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes strike in the fall and may dump 20 cm (8 in.) of rain or more in a short period. Flooding, high winds, and storm surge resulting from hurricanes may dramatically affect both plants and animals.
Average monthly temperatures range from 18.6° C (65° F) in January to 28.3° C (83° F) in August. Even in south Florida cold spells and even freezing temperatures sometimes occur in the winter.