How much rain is on tap for SW FL? Not enough to erase drought conditions
Rain is finally in the forecast again for Southwest Florida.
Some heavy showers hit the area over the weekend, but the region has seen little rain this year, the lowest total in a decade, according to National Weather Service Records.
Rainfall at Fort Myers Page Field Airport this year has reached 41 inches, but that's still more than a foot below average.
Lee and Collier counties, on average, are 15 inches below average for precipitation this calendar year, and the dry season started about a month ago.
Chances are pretty high, through Wednesday, when the region could see up to an inch of rain.
"There's a storm system in the western Gulf of Mexico and it will slowly organize as it moves toward the Louisiana, Mississippi coastline," said Ross Giarratana, a meteorologist with the NWS in Ruskin, which covers the Fort Myers-Lee County area. "The frontal boundary extends eastward and it's stationary across south Florida and the keys. So with the system in the western Gulf and the frontal boundary, we are looking at 50% rain chances."
That basically means about half of the region will see measurable rainfall.
Area already seeing drought conditions
Rain is needed here as coastal Lee and Collier counties have seen drought conditions for much of the year, and the interior portions of both counties are abnormally dry for November.
"It will be scattered to numerous showers, and I'd say the best chances will be Wednesday," he said. "In the later half of the day we may get a brief, decent downpour in some areas."
Giarratana said there will be plenty of moisture in the air on Thursday, and that NWS is calling for a 30 to 40% chance of rain then.
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"It will be lingering moisture," he said. "Overall, it's not out the question for Southwest Florida to see three-quarters to an inch of rain, on average over the next few days."
Similar conditions are expected in Naples and across Collier County.
"We've got a deep, short-wave low pressure over the Gulf, and it's going to push to the east on Wednesday and Thursday," said Will Redman, a meteorologist with NWS in Miami, which covers the Naples-Collier area. "High pressure to the north and northeast will kind of funnel easterly winds and it will result in pretty breezy and gusty conditions."
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SW FL weather: Rain in forecast. Lack of precipitation causing drought
