Rain chances continue to climb (all across south Florida) as we buckle up for an extra-wet stretch. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Labor Day weekend is usually the wettest of all holidays! To prove that point, Labor Day has turned out wet in 10 of the past 13 years, according to National Weather Service data focusing on Miami rain reports.
Even before the weekend gets underway we’re seeing a combination of features coming together for heavy rain and storms. High Pressure over the Atlantic is weakening and the center is heading away. That’s opening the door for increased moisture out of the Tropics. If that’s not enough, there are two other things building closer that will likely trigger the downpours. The first feature is an Upper Low off Florida’s northern coast. It’s broad and still forming. Its configuration is like a giant pinwheel that’s high in the sky. The disturbance will tend to sit and spin for the next few days, adding to instability. Meanwhile, a tropical wave is progressing closer (from the other direction). It’s disorganized and swift-moving to the west and northwest from the Caribbean waters. All of this spells a period of unsettled weather from now through early next week.
While this storm-filled pattern may not sound appealing, it sure beats having to deal with an actual, organized, tropical system. We’re approaching the peak of Hurricane Season (exact peak being September 10) and this is usually a very active time for systems to form. As of this writing, there are currently no tropical depressions, storms, or hurricanes from the Gulf to the Caribbean extending to the Atlantic Ocean. This tropical drought is quite rare in late August. According to hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University, the last time we were void of a tropical system from late August thru early September was way back in 1997! Be mindful that things can “change on a dime” when it comes to the tropics. It’s not the time to let down your guard or be unprepared. It is, however, an ideal time to get your Hurricane supplies if you haven’t done so already.
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