Florida: Hurricanes and Other Weird Weather

Hurricanes, snowfall and tornadoes: what do they all have in
common?

Amazingly, they\'ve all occurred here in Florida. Let\'s take a
look at the wild side of the Sunshine State\'s weather.

Hurricanes

These monstrous storms have been very much in the news the last
few years. The 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons were very active,
with several major storms impacting Florida. From Charley to
Jeanne, Dennis to Rita, Florida has been front and center for
these swirling behemoths.

Hurricanes are born in the tropics, where the sun heats up the
ocean. The water heats the air, sending it aloft. As the air
rises, it is replaced with more warm, moist air. Eventually, the
rising air cools and the energy is released as rain. And the
cycle starts again, creating a wind pattern that circulates
around a center.

Think of the way water swirls down a drain.

Storms tend to move from east to west across the tropical
Atlantic. Many times, a hurricane will turn to the north and out
into the open ocean before coming anywhere near land. The ones
that don\'t stand a good chance of striking the southeastern
United States.

Snow

Yes, it does on rare occasions snow in Florida. The most famous
snowstorm was in January of 1977, when it snowed as far south as
Miami!

While real snow isn\'t the norm in Florida, flurries are not as
uncommon as you might imagine. The Florida Panhandle can get
quite cold in the winter, with night temperatures dipping into
the teens and days not rising above freezing. Cold fronts tend
to move from the northwest to the southeast , crossing Florida
and the Gulf of Mexico.

As the cold front moves over the Gulf, the moisture in the water
evaporates into the cold air. The warming air rises; as it
cools, it forms clouds. If enough moisture is present in the
clouds to rain, and if the air is cold enough...

Snow. Or in Florida\'s case, tiny snow flurries.

Tornadoes

These whirling dervishes regularly visit Florida. When they are
above land, they are called tornadoes, but over water they are
called waterspouts.

Did you know that tornadoes are more common here in Florida than
they are in Oklahoma? Yes, it\'s the truth -- we get more.
However, Florida\'s tornadoes tend to be smaller, with lower
windspeeds. Oklahoma may get fewer, but they get the big ones.

The most famous outbreak in Florida\'s recent history was in
February of 1998. On the 22nd and 23rd, within a 3.5 hour
period, 7 tornadoes touched down in Central Florida. While
tornadoes in February are unusual enough, three of these storms
were rated as F3 on the Fujita scale -- extremely strong for
Florida.

Hurricanes and Snow and Tornadoes - Oh My!

Don\'t let Florida\'s sometimes wild weather keep you from
visiting. Most of the time the weather is fine, and lives up to
the motto - the Sunshine State. For more Florida weather
information visit
http://www.great-florida-vacations.com/florida-weather-and-vacati
ons.html