Another rainy season is in the books, and it comes as no surprise that the numbers came in wet.
Rainy season runs from May 15 to Oct. 15, and it’s a six-month period in which South Florida picks up 70% of its yearly rainfall.
Miami averages 46.25 inches of rain during this period, while For Lauderdale comes in just a little lower at 37.49 inches.
The preliminary numbers are impressive, with Fort Lauderdale picking up a whopping 55.63 inches and Miami seeing 53.84.
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But as big as these numbers are, we’ve seen more dramatic rainy seasons in the past.
In 1908, Miami picked up a ridiculous 67.65 inches, and in 1947, Fort Lauderdale saw an insane 81.20 inches.
This year’s rain season was still impressive though, as Fort Lauderdale managed to have its 8th rainiest day on record: June 12, when the city picked up 9.54 inches.
Here's where it gets interesting. When you look at the numbers closely, it becomes clear that both Miami and Fort Lauderdale tend to see their biggest one-day rains outside of rainy season.
For instance, seven of Fort Lauderdale and Miami’s top 10 biggest rain days have occurred outside of rainy season.
There is an explanation for this. South Florida tends to see frontal boundaries stall out more often during the late fall and spring months. This setup has clearly lead to some big rain events.
The bottom line? It’s a good idea to always stay weather ready as big rain events can come at any time in South Florida.
