Expires:No;;566746 NOUS42 KMLB 032039 PNSMLB Public Information Statement National Weather Service Melbourne FL 439 PM EDT Fri May 3 2024 ...April 2024 Was Drier Than Normal with Average Temperatures Near to Slightly Below Normal Across East Central Florida... Only a few cold fronts were able to move through the area in April, and any rainfall they produced was largely from weakening bands of showers and storms, mainly during the first half of the month. Otherwise, extended periods of drier weather occurred between these frontal passages across the area. This led to precipitation totals for April 2024 that were below to well below normal for a month that is already one of the driest climatologically. Despite the limited number of cold fronts that pushed through central Florida, average temperatures for the month still ended up near to slightly below normal. ...Temperatures... Temperatures started off above normal, as highs warmed into the 80s during the first few days of the month, ahead of an approaching cold front. Maximum temperatures even reached the low 90s along the Treasure Coast on the 3rd, with Vero Beach breaking their record high for the day. Cooler and much drier air behind the front allowed temperatures to drop to near to below normal values, with highs falling to the 70s to low 80s and overnight lows largely in the 50s. A quick warming trend then occurred ahead of another cold front that pushed through late on the 11th, with Fort Pierce tying their record high of 92 degrees that day, and a few record warm lows in the low 70s being tied on the 10th and 11th. Drier and cooler conditions also filtered into the area behind this boundary, and led to several days of near to below normal temperatures once again. Notably, Vero Beach tied their record low of 46 degrees on the 14th. From around mid-April onward, near to slightly above normal temperatures largely dominated, with highs often in the 80s and lows in the 60s. One notable exception was behind a stronger cold front that moved through early on the 22nd and dropped highs into the 70s and lows back into the 50s for a few days. Average temperatures for April 2024 still ended up near to slightly below normal across the area despite the limited number of cold frontal passages. A significant contributing factor to this, was the prevailing drier air across the area, which helped overnight lows frequently drop to cooler than normal values. In fact, average minimum temperatures for the month ended up either near or below normal (up to 1 to 2 degrees cooler than normal at Vero Beach and Fort Pierce). However, average maximum temperatures for April were mostly near to slightly above normal, especially from the Orlando area southward. Daily Record Temperatures for the Month: Daytona Beach: - No daily temperature records set or tied. Leesburg: - No daily temperature records set or tied. Sanford: - No daily temperature records set or tied. Orlando: - April 11th: Tied record warm low of 70 degrees last set in 2013. Melbourne: - April 10th: Tied record warm low of 71 degrees last set in 2017. Vero Beach: - April 3rd: Record high of 91 degrees. Previous record was 88 degrees last set in 2023. - April 14th: Tied record low of 46 degrees last set in 1971. Fort Pierce: - April 10th: Tied record warm low of 72 degrees last set in 2015. - April 11th: Tied record high of 92 degrees last set in 1999. - April 21st: Record high of 91 degrees. Previous record was 90 degrees last set in 2006. Average temperatures for April 2024 at the primary climate sites across east central Florida are as follows (rankings provided if in the top 10): - Daytona Beach had a monthly average temperature of 69.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.5 degrees below normal. - Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 71.9 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.3 degrees below normal. - Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 71.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.6 degrees below normal. - Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 72.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.4 degrees above normal. - Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.2 degrees below normal. - Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 71.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.4 degrees below normal. - Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 71.0 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 0.5 degrees below normal. ...Rainfall... A band of gusty showers and storms preceding an approaching cold front moved through the area on the 3rd, producing rainfall totals around a half an inch to an inch across Lake and Volusia counties southward through northern portions of Brevard and Osceola counties. However, this activity weakened as it pushed southward, with amounts around a quarter of an inch or less across southern portions of east central Florida. Another band of stronger showers and storms moved into the area ahead of cold front on the 11th. Similar to the previous event, this band weakened as it shifted south, leading to higher rainfall amounts up to a half an inch to an inch across Osceola and Brevard counties northward, while farther south rainfall amounts were again typically around a quarter of an inch or less. Another front generated isolated to scattered showers and storms from late on the 21st into the 22nd, but rainfall from this activity was overall limited. Otherwise, dry conditions prevailed between these frontal passages for April. It wasn't until the very last day of the month that some additional showers and storms developed along the Treasure Coast bringing some much needed rainfall to some locations in this area. Up through the 29th, Fort Pierce and Vero Beach had rainfall totals that were set to be within the top 5 driest on record for April, with 0.09 inches total at Fort Pierce ranking as 2nd driest and 0.29 inches at Vero Beach ranking as 5th driest. However, the rainfall on the 30th boosted end of month totals slightly to 0.45 inches at Vero Beach and 0.55 inches at Fort Pierce. This ended up ranking April 2024 as the 8th driest (tying 2001) on record at Vero Beach, and outside of the top ten rankings entirely at Fort Pierce, as 13th driest. Still, it was a rather dry month overall across the region. Precipitation amounts generally ranged between 1 to 2 inches across Osceola and Brevard counties northward and around a half an inch to an inch farther south. These totals were around 1 to 2 inches below normal at many locations for April, continuing a drier than normal pattern that began around late February. This led to developing abnormally dry (D0) conditions across Osceola and Brevard counties southward through Okeechobee County and the Treasure Coast into late April where rainfall has been significantly below normal over the past two to three months. Daily Record Rainfall for the Month: Daytona Beach: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Leesburg: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Sanford: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Orlando: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Melbourne: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Vero Beach: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. Fort Pierce: - No daily record rainfalls set or tied. April 2024 rainfall totals for the primary climate sites across east central Florida are as follows (ranking provided if in the top 10): - Daytona Beach received 1.27 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.96 inches below normal. - Leesburg received 1.88 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.16 inches below normal. - Sanford received 1.62 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.73 inches below normal. - Orlando received 1.33 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.25 inches below normal. - Melbourne received 1.10 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.19 inches below normal. - Vero Beach received 0.45 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.61 inches below normal. This ties April 2001 as the 8th driest April on record for this site, with records going back to 1942. - Fort Pierce received 0.55 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.48 inches below normal. Below is a list of observed precipitation totals and rainfall statistics for select sites across east central Florida for April 2024: Station April 2024 Normal Departure Percent of Rainfall Rainfall From Normal Normal Daytona Beach 1.27" 2.23" -0.96" 57% (DAB) Orlando 1.33" 2.58" -1.25" 52% (MCO) Melbourne 1.10" 2.29" -1.19" 48% (MLB) Vero Beach 0.45" 3.06" -2.61" 15% (VRB) Clermont* 1.28" 2.59" -1.31" 49% (CLRF1) Leesburg 1.88" 2.04" -0.16" 92% (LEE) DeLand* 2.02" 2.47" -0.45" 82% (DELF1) Sanford 1.62" 2.35" -0.73" 69% (SFB) Titusville* 1.52" 2.69" -1.17" 57% (TITF1) Fort Pierce 0.55" 3.03" -2.48" 18% (FPR) Stuart* 0.80" 3.56" -2.76" 22% (STRF1) *Rainfall totals for the month end around 7 AM on the 30th. For more local climate information, please visit our web page at http://weather.gov/mlb and click on the "Climate" icon toward the bottom of the page. $$ Weitlich