The word has been out about the weather this winter, and how it is so much different than many of the winters many of us have experienced here in SW Florida. Below is an email response from Lauren Casey of Wink News regarding the weather we've experienced this winter.
The cold air in February only solidified this winter's place in history. SWFL experienced it's coldest December-February period in nearly 30 years...since 1981! Ft. Myers experienced the 10th coldest January since records began in 1902...and the 4th coldest February on record.
The nation as a whole experienced the coldest December-February period in 25 years and the 18th coldest winter for the contiguous United States in the past 115 years. Nine states (most in the Southeast) had top ten coldest winters on record including Florida with it's 9th coldest...
In the month of February, morning low temperatures in Ft. Myers dropped into the 40's on fifteen mornings...more than half of the month's 28 days. Average morning lows during that time frame are low to mid 50's...so a morning in the 40's is well below the average but to have 15 in the month is extremely atypical.
Not even Cupid could heat things up in February as Valentine's Day 2010 broke a 50 year old record for the lowest high temperature...meaning it was the coolest Valentine's Day ever on record in Ft. Myers with a high of only 59 degrees. The old record was 62 degrees from 1960. The average high would be near 80 degrees.
El Nino has been a large factor in the unusually cold weather this season. During an El Nino pattern, the sub-tropical arm of the jet stream takes a more southerly track than is typical...as a result areas of low pressure (storm systems) are driven by the jet stream on a more southerly track ie. closer to us! This has resulted a more active rainfall pattern during what is suppose to be the 'dry season' and has allowed cold, arctic air to plunge in behind the passing systems.
El Nino has begun to weaken and most computer forecast models are predicting an end to El Nino by summer. This may bring an end to the unseasonably cool weather, but in another sense, may not be great timing as we near the start of hurricane season as El Nino typically works to suppress hurricane activity.
Hope that information helps and I think everyone is looking forward to the start of Spring on Saturday!
Sincerely,
Lauren Casey
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