An early start to rainy season in time for spring break? Here’s what the forecast says

Howard Cohen
·2 min read

This first full week of March finds several Florida schools on spring break. As students begin descending on South Florida beaches they may find a few unwelcome visitors in the form of afternoon thunderstorms.

“We’re going to have to acclimate to almost like a wet season pattern here where you wake up and it’s sunny and then the storms start popping up in the afternoons. That’s what’s coming here for Tuesday, Wednesday and even beyond that,” said CBS News Miami chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.

When it will rain in Miami

Start of showers, storms: Rain chances begin at 20% Saturday night, first in the northern parts of South Florida like Palm Beach County and Fort Lauderdale and then move south over the Miami area on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

Sunday-Monday: Showers and isolated thunderstorms pick up, mostly after 1 p.m. Sunday, on a 40% chance. “Pop up thunderstorms,” Cabrera said. “That’s the setup.”

Spring break week ahead: After Monday’s potential bangers, the pattern continues through the week, with a 20% chance Tuesday when wind gusts pick up to about 18 mph. Showers and storm chances rise to 40% again on Wednesday. Cabrera said the wet pattern that may begin over the weekend is more akin to late March ahead of a rainy season in a couple months as opposed to the dry conditions that have favored South Florida for a couple weeks. The potential is for 1 to 2 inches of rain during passing storms, he said, before sunnier and dry days resume Thursday and Friday.

Florida Keys: As of Saturday there were no weather alerts for the Keys island chain. The chance of rain is also lower than the mainland at just 10% to 20% through the week.

Temperatures: Look for highs at 80 and just above and lows between 72 and 74 from Saturday through Friday through South Florida and the Keys.

Rip currents

Planning to hit the beach with the spring break bunch? Couple concerns. Rip currents are forecast to remain elevated this weekend into the early and mid portion of the work week along Atlantic coast beaches, the weather service warns.

Seas may be up to 6 feet.