Climate of Miami
The climate of Miami is classified as having a tropical monsoon climate with hot and humid summers; short, warm winters; and a marked drier season in the winter. Its sea-level elevation, coastal location, position just above the strong Tropic of Cancer, and proximity to the Gulf Stream shape its climate.
With January averaging Script error: No such module "convert"., winter features warm temperatures; cool air usually settles after the passage of a cold front, which produces much of the little amount of rainfall. Lows sometimes fall to or below Script error: No such module "convert"., with an average 3 such occurrences annually,[1] but rarely Script error: No such module "convert".; from 1981 to 2010, temperatures reached that level in only eight calendar years.[2] Highs generally reach Script error: No such module "convert". or higher, and fail to do so on only an average of 12 days annually.
The Rainy season officially begins May 15th and continues until October 15th. During this period, highs are in the mid 80s to mid 90s (29–35 °C), accompanied by high humidity, though the heat is often relieved by afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, but conditions still remain very muggy. Much of the year's Script error: No such module "convert". of rainfall occurs during this period. Extreme temperatures range from 27 F[3] on February 3, 1917,[4] to 100 °F on July 21, 1942, (−2.8 to 38 °C), the only triple-digit (°F) reading on record;[5] the more recent freezing temperature seen at Miami International Airport was on December 25, 1989.[6] The highest daily minimum temperature is Script error: No such module "convert". on August 4, 1993 and September 7, 1897 (although the corresponding record for Miami Beach is Script error: No such module "convert". on July 17, 2001), and conversely, the lowest daily maximum temperature is Script error: No such module "convert". on February 19, 1900.
While Miami has never officially recorded any accumulating snowfall since records have been kept, there were non-accumulating snow flurries in some parts of the city on January 19, 1977 during the cold wave of January 1977.[7][8][9] Weather conditions for the area around Miami were recorded sporadically from 1839 until 1900, with many years-long gaps. A cooperative temperature and rainfall recording site was established in December 1900 in what is now Downtown Miami. An official Weather Bureau Office opened in Miami in June 1911.[10] A record setting 12-day cold snap in January 2010 was the coldest period since at least the 1940s.[11]
Miami receives abundant rainfall, one of the highest among major cities in the United States. Most of this rainfall occurs from mid-May through early October. Miami has an average annual rainfall of Script error: No such module "convert"., whereas nearby Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach receive Script error: No such module "convert". and Script error: No such module "convert"., respectively, which demonstrates the high local variability in rainfall rates.[6]
Miami reports more thunderstorms than most US cities, with about eighty days per year having thunder reported. These storms are often strong, with frequent lightning and very heavy rain. Occasionally, they can be severe with damaging straight line winds and large hail. Tornadoes and waterspouts sometimes occur, although violent tornadoes of the type seen in other parts of the United States are rare in Florida.
During El Niño events, Miami becomes cooler than normal during the dry season with above average precipitation. During La Niña, Miami becomes warmer and drier than normal.
While the climate for much Florida is humid subtropical, much of South Florida qualifies as one of several tropical classifications (Köppen Aw, As, Am, or Af). with the Tropical parts of Southeastern Florida falling into USDA zone 10b to 12a for plant hardiness,[12] where annual extreme low temperatures range from Script error: No such module "convert"., versus zones 9a-10b in Central Florida, and zones 8b-9b in northern Florida.[13] With global warming, the urban heat island effect, as well as the warm waters provided by the Gulf Stream, the barrier islands and coastal portions of the metroarea including Miami Beach & Miami, made it into hardiness zone 11a by 2012. With most Miami-Dade cities (like Hialeah, Coral Gables, etc) joining in the 2023 USDA update [14] Miami Beach has virtually no freezing weather in its history and few instances of sub-Script error: No such module "convert". weather.[15][1]
Data
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This chart shows the average coastal ocean water temperature by month in degrees Fahrenheit for Miami Beach based on historicalScript error: No such module "Unsubst". measurements.[16]
| January | February | March | April 1−15 | April 16−30 | May 1−15 | May 16−31 | June 1−15 | June 16−30 | July 1−15 | July 16−31 | August 1−15 | August 16−31 | September 1−15 | September 16−30 | October 1−15 | October 16−31 | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Template:Graph:Weather monthly history
Hurricanes
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop beyond those dates. The most likely time for Miami to be hit is during the peak of the Cape Verde season which is mid-August through the end of September.[17] Due to its location between two major bodies of water known for tropical activity, Miami is also statistically the most likely major city in the world to be struck by a hurricane, trailed closely by Nassau, Bahamas, and Havana, Cuba.
Despite this, the City of Miami has not been directly hit by the eye of a hurricane since Hurricane Cleo in 1964.[18] Template:Cn span
Miami has been identified as one of three cities in the United States most vulnerable to hurricanes, mainly due to its location and it being surrounded by ocean and low-lying coastal plains, the other two cities being New Orleans and Houston.[19]
See also
- Climate of Florida
- Climate change in Florida
- Neotropical realm
- Tropical climate
- Tropic of Cancer
- Tropics
- Tropical sprue
Notes
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References
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- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ "Maine shivers at -29: Snow falls in Florida". Associated Press. The Baltimore Sun. January 20, 1977. p. A1. "Temperatures dipped into the 30s in southern Florida, with snow flurries reported even in Miami Beach."
- ↑ Lardner Jr., George; Meyers, Robert. "Miami Is Hit by First Recorded Snow: State of Emergency Is Eyed for Virginia Thousands Idled as Cold Closes Factories, Businesses". The Washington Post. January 20, 1977. p. A1. The meandering jet stream in the upper atmosphere sent flurries of genuine snow onto Miami's palm trees. ... It was the farthest south that snow has been reported in the United States since the record books were started in the 19th century. ... The snow flurries in Miami will be only an asterisk in the record books since they didn't fall on any of the National Weather Service's recording stations in the area, but they were genuine."
- ↑ Khiss, Peter. "New York High is 26 as the South Shivers: Florida Snow Causes Emergency Gas Shortage Widespread". The New York Times. January 20, 1977. p. 1. "Florida officially recorded snow for the first time yesterday in Palm Beach County, 65 miles north of Miami, and even that city had flurries, although not at the official stations at its airport or nearby Coral Gables."
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