The dry season is ramping up, and the ground is feeling it, especially in South Florida, where some areas are now under an extreme drought. Comparing the analysis from last week to this most recent one, every category except the last has seen an increase of at least 2 percent in coverage.
As for areas not under drought, about 40 percent of Florida is not experiencing any drought. The previous week, this number was closer to 45 percent. Most of the Panhandle through Jacksonville, along with a small area northeast of Lake Okeechobee, is clear of drought. The difference is that this week, abnormally dry conditions, level D0, are creeping in over part of the southern Panhandle between Franklin and Walton counties.
South Florida is getting drier
The drought is deepening across South Florida. Northeast Collier, southeast Hendry, western Palm Beach, and northwestern Broward counties are not dealing with an extreme drought; this is a D3 drought. Drought categories range up to D4, which is an "exceptional drought". This area accounts for approximately 2.29% of Florida.
The biggest increase in coverage was in severe drought (D2) conditions, which had about a 7 percent increase. Most of South Florida was affected by a severe drought, with Collier and Palm Beach counties being the worst hit. The majority of Hendry, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties were also under severe drought conditions.
This is expected because the few fronts that have arrived in Florida with rain and storms have released their precipitation as they moved over the northern half of Florida, while leaving the southern half mostly dry. The warm temperatures have also not helped with evaporation rates. Warmer temperatures allow the little moisture on the ground to evaporate quickly, making the vegetation drier.
Parts of South Florida have been upgraded to EXTREME drought. No heavy rainfall threats are coming up and drought relief may depend on daily thunderstorms as summer begins. Meteorologist William Maxham takes a closer look in today’s @citizens_fla weather update. #FLwx pic.twitter.com/6ARXzOYcBS
— Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) (@FloridaStorms) April 18, 2025
How is the long-term outlook?
Temperature-wise, their weather models are leaning toward water than usual conditions for the next 10 days. By the way the weather pattern looks, there might be a high-pressure system setting camp over the Southeast U.S., which could bring much warmer weather across the entire region. The precipitation outlook shows near-average conditions across most of Florida, except in South Florida, where models indicate a higher chance of above-average precipitation over the next 10 days, up to 40%.
At this point, any rain is welcome, but a constant stream of light rain works better to alleviate the drought. Downpours tend to cause more flooding because dry soil is compact and can’t drain heavy amounts of rain.
Drought can also worsen wildfires. Dry vegetation serves as fuel for fires, and under windy conditions, any fires ignited can quickly become erratic. Wildfire season in Florida lasts year-round, but peaks between April and June, coinciding with the end of the dry season. For most of Florida, the rainy season starts by the end of May.