Weather & Climate

Climate Type:

Orlando's climate type is Moist-Subtropical, which means it's often hot and humid. Florida is located in the "southern portion of the Northern Hemisphere’s humid subtropical climate zone...noted for its long hot and humid summers and mild and wet winters" (5).

Average Temperature:

The temperature often ranges between 52°F to 91°F in a year.
Orlando's warm season lasts 4.4 months with an average daily high temperature above 87°F.
And the cool seasons lasts 2.8 months with an average daily temperature below 74°F. (6)

Average Temperatures in Orlando (6)

This figure depicts the average daily high and low temps. in Orlando.

Precipitation:

The wet season lasts 4 months from May 28 through September 27, "with a greater than 42% chance of a given day being a wet day".
And the dryer season lasts 8 months from September 27 through May 28.
Rain occurs in Orlando all-year and it rains most often in June, with an average rainfall of 5.7 inches (6).

Average Monthly Rainfall (6)

This figure depicts the average rainfall every month in Orlando.

Daily Chance of Precipitation (6)

This figure depicts the daily chance of precipiation from September 27-May 28.

Humidity:

Humidity Levels in Orlando (6)

Due to the city's coastal location, it can be extremely muggy from the ocean air and vapors.
Late July-early August is when Florida is at it's muggiest.

Wind and Global Patterns:

Wind Direction in Orlando (6)

Wind Direction

In Orlando, "the wind is most often from the east for 3.8 months, from March 9 to July 3 and for 2.8 months, from August 6 to October 31, with a peak percentage of 51% on September 23".
From July 3 to August 6, it's often coming from the south "for 1.1 months with a peak percentage of 34% on July 18".
Lastly, the wind blows from the north "for 3.6 months, from October 31 to February 17, with a peak percentage of 36% on January 1" (6).

Global Patterns

Florida's location is in "the middle of the trade winds and the westerlies". During the winter, cold fronts from the westerlies come from the north and/or northwest (7).
During the summer, tradewinds occur and contribute to the hot and moist climate.

(7)

Air Masses:

(8)

The maritime climate in Orlando is created from air masses that form over the Gulf of Mexico and the tropics.
"The northward movement of tropical air masses transports warm moist air into the United States, increasing the potential for precipitation".
With Florida being a southern state, it is one of the first places to receive these air masses during the winter season (8).

Weather Systems:

Orlando is often at risk for hurricanes due to an increase in strong winds. And It is located near large bodies of water and open space, which creates a higher chance for extreme storms.
"As the atmosphere warms, there is more energy available for storms to create high-intensity winds. A warmer atmosphere also means warmer oceans, which feeds storms that develop out at sea and make their way towards land" (9).

(9)

Temperature and Precipitaion Regime:

Orlando has a Moist-Subtropical climate. And the statewide annual average (1895–2020) precipitation is 53.7 inches, "with more precipitation falling during the warmer months of June through September" (10).

(10)

Works Cited:

https://unsplash.com/photos/city-skyline-across-body-of-water-during-daytime-Tyn3-Cljx-A
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-city-street-at-night-with-buildings-lit-up-DrhFrjxrQpc
https://www.britannica.com/place/Orlando-Florida
https://www.forbes.com/sites/julietremaine/2019/07/11/best-attractions-in-orlando/?sh=504ab7b2344a
https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/images/fcc/climateofflorida.pdf
https://weatherspark.com/y/17721/Average-Weather-in-Orlando-Florida-United-States-Year-Round
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/weather/2022/08/08/florida-s-climate-is-not-like-the-rest-of-the-country
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/arms/trp.rxml
https://riskfactor.com/city/orlando/1253000_fsid/wind
https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/fl/#:~:text=During%20July%2C%20typically%20the%20hottest,months%20of%20June%20through%20September.
http://www.landscope.org/florida/natural_geography/#:~:text=Florida%20is%20home%20to%2045,scrubs%2C%20flatwoods%20and%20floodplain%20forests.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1459&context=occ_stuetd
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/Vol-2-No-7.pdf
https://ideasforus.org/the-ecology-of-the-orlando-wetlands-and-your-next-visit/
https://eros.usgs.gov/earthshots/orlando-florida-usa
https://myfwc.com/conservation/special-initiatives/climate-change/impacts/#:~:text=Florida%27s%20wildlife%20communities%20are%20likely,events%20as%20the%20climate%20changes.
https://climateadaptationexplorer.org/impacts/species
https://ideasforus.org/branches/orlando/
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/combating-invasive-species-in-florida/
https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/docs/g/geology.htm#:~:text=These%20sedimentary%20formations%20consist%20of,Florida%20was%20of%20coral%20formation.
https://floridadep.gov/fgs/geologic-topics/content/flooding-and-erosion#:~:text=Human%20development%20and%20construction%20activities,by%20storms%20or%20tropical%20systems.
https://floridadep.gov/owper/water-policy/content/water-supply
https://orange.wateratlas.usf.edu/watershed/?wshedid=11&wbodyatlas=watershed

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