Florida Weather

Florida's tornado season is from December to April with F3 or greater tornadoes. F5 tornadoes have not been recorded in Florida but F4 tornadoes have been recorded between December thru April. F3 tornadoes have occurred in May and June at coastal counties and other parts of Florida once in September and some F3's in October. Small F2 to F0 tornadoes can occur almost any time of the year in Florida. Tornadoes in Florida can occur anytime of the day and at night near midnight or predawn hours.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/
The Fujita Tornado Scale

Slow moving severe thunderstorms, usually summertime thunderstorms, can produce macroburst or microburst wind gust causing major property damage to a very small area about 2.5 miles, more or less, in diameter.
http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/fltorn.htm

Hurricane season is from June to November and short-lived tornadoes can be produced by them. Before rapid intensification, some hurricanes have been observed to have intense convection that is sufficient to produce embedded tornadoes, especially within the outer convective rainbands. A hurricane's right-front quadrant relative to its motion is the most likely area for tornado formation. Most hurricane-spawned tornadoes form in outer rainbands some 50 to 200 miles from the cyclone center, but some have occurred in the inner core. The most likely time for hurricane spawned tornadoes is during daylight hours, although they can occur during the night too. There have been no F5-rated tornadoes from hurricanes in the past 50 years of reliable data and only two F4 tornadoes. Tornadoes from hurricanes are often spawned by unusually small storm cells that may not appear dangerous on weather radars, especially if the cells are located more than about 60 miles from the radar. In addition, these small storms often tend to produce little or no lightning and no thunder. Furthermore, the tornadoes are often obscured by rain and the storm cells spawning them may move rapidly, thus leaving little time to take evasive action.

CCCC - Four-letter NWS office identifier
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/datamgmt/x_ref/xr08_CCCC_ID_List.html

The Coded Cities Forecast is a coded forecast that is routinely issued twice daily around 200 to 400 a.m. and
200 to 400 p.m. along with the Zone Forecast. It provides a detailed overview of the forecast for 14 periods,
or the next seven days. The Coded Cities Forecast will have a different sequence depending upon the
transmission time. The forecast takes the following format.

4:00 a.m.
LLL D1D2 max/min max/min max FFP1P2P3
D3D4D5D6D7 min/max min/max min/max min/max min P4P5P6P7P8P9P10P11P12P13P14

4:00 p.m.
LLL D1D2 min/max min/max min FFP1P2P3
D3D4D5D6D7 max/min max/min max/min max/min max P4P5P6P7P8P9P10P11P12P13P14

A description of each part of the coded cities forecast follows:
LLL - Three-letter station identifier:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/tg/siteloc.shtml enter K and then the Three-letter station identifier

D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7 - One-word forecast which represents the predominate weather expected
during the daylight hours for that day.

The following list gives the corresponding letters and weather elements.
A Fair
B Partly Cloudy
C Cloudy
D Dust
E Mostly Cloudy
F Foggy
G Very Hot or Hot/Humid
H Haze
I Very Cold/Wind Chill
J Snow Showers
K Smoke
L Drizzle
M Snow Showers
N Windy
O Rain or snow Mixed
P Blizzard
Q Blowing Snow
R Rain
S Snow
T Thunderstorms
U Sunny
V Clear
W Rain Showers
X Sleet
Y Freezing Rain
Z Freezing Drizzle

max/min or min/max - Temperatures (°F) are encoded with three digits. For example, 52°F is encoded 052,
112°F is encoded 112, 7°F is encoded 007. Temperatures below zero are preceded by the digit 9. For
example, -15°F is encoded 915.

FF - The forecaster's identification number with digits 01 through 99.

P1P2P3 - Probability of Precipitation (POP) values for
consecutive 12-hour periods through 7 days. If the probability
of precipitation is 50% or greater, the corresponding one-word
forecast for that day will normally be for the precipitation event.
The value is coded as follows:
Percent Code
near zero 0
5 -
10 1
20 2
30 3
...etc...
90 9
near 100 +

Current Conditions or enter your location [Hourly unless otherwise noted]
_
The current conditions are derived from airport observations (METARs) near the top of the hour. Special airport observations (SPECs) are issued individually only for significant changes between the hour. Airport observations provide excellent quality or accuracy control of the data, a reason they are used by TV and radio stations. Non-airport Cooperative Observer Program (COOP such as school, agri., etc.) automated stations are updated more often than hourly but can lack in quality or accuracy of data. Some links to current conditions may not show the most recent observation so always check the time stamp in the product. Other sources of current weather are listed at the following links.
http://madis.noaa.gov/network_info.html Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS) Surface Network Information
http://msas.noaa.gov/qcms.html Quality Control and Monitoring System
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/ U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN)

GOES Soundings [select Southeast US]
_
Future needs are new satellites with microwave sounding technologies capable of soundings in cloudy areas. Soundings can indicate a potential tornado outbreak about 8 - 10 hours in advance.
http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/goes/soundings/
                http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/goes/soundings/skewt/html/skewtus.html Click on location
                http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/goes/soundings/skewt/html/loops/lskewtus.html Click on location to loop
       http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/goes/soundings/html/fields.html select Southeast
LI (Lifted Index)
Unstable area of <-5 C downwind with jetstream of stable area (about 200 miles further West from unstable area) that equals a total C difference >9 correlating with moist to dry TPW = area and intensity of future tornados if other conditions are right (Low pressure position, jetstream above, low-level winds, high CAPES, low CINH, etc.)
CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy)
CINH (Convective Inhibition)
TPW (Total Precipital Water)
Moist area of TPW >20mm downwind with jetstream of dryer area (about 200 miles further West from moist area) that equals mm difference >9 correlating with unstable to stable LI = area and intensity of future tornadoes if other conditions are right (Low pressure position, jetstream above, low-level winds, high CAPES, low CINH, etc.)
http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/goes/soundings/html/3hourdf.html Time Trends are 3 (three) hour time differences
select Southeast U.S.
Tendency of LI<-5C and TPW>5mm = area for future severe convection
Tendency of LI<-5C and TPW>5mm = area for future severe convection
_
http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/aviation/mb.html Experimental GOES Microburst Products
select Southeast

Sorted by county:
KGNV KGNV KGNV KGNV - Alachua - Gainesville, Gainesville Regional Airport
KPFN KPFN KPFN KPFN - Bay - Panama City, Panama City-Bay County International Airport
KPAM KPAM KPAM KPAM + Bay - Tyndall Air Force Base
KMLB KMLB KMLB KMLB - Brevard - Melbourne, Melbourne International Airport
KTIX KTIX KTIX KTIX - Brevard - Titusville
KCOF KCOF KCOF KCOF + Brevard - Cocoa / Patrick Air Force Base
KTTS KTTS KTTS KTTS + Brevard - NASA Shuttle Facility
KFLL KFLL KFLL KFLL - Broward - Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport
KFXE KFXE KFXE KFXE - Broward - Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
KHWO KHWO KHWO KHWO - Broward - Hollywood, North Perry Airport
KPMP KPMP KPMP KPMP - Broward - Pompano Beach, Pompano Beach Airpark
KPGD KPGD KPGD KPGD - Charlotte - Punta Gorda, Charlotte County Airport
KX31 ? Citrus - Crystal River
KEGC KEGC KEGC KEGC - Collier - Everglades City
KMKY ? Collier - Marco Island
KAPF KAPF KAPF KAPF - Collier - Naples Municipal
K31J ? Columbia - Lake City Municipal Airport
KTMB KTMB KTMB KTMB - Dade - Miami, Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport
KMIA KMIA KMIA KMIA - Dade - Miami, Miami International Airport
KMBF KMBF KMBF KMBF - Dade - Miami Beach
KOPF KOPF KOPF KOPF - Dade - Miami, Opa Locka Airport
KHST KHST KHST KHST + Dade - Homestead Air Force Base
KOCR ? Dade - Ocean Reef
KCTY KCTY KCTY KCTY - Dixie - Cross City, Cross City Airport
KCRG KCRG KCRG KCRG - Duval - Jacksonville, Craig Municipal Airport
KJAX KJAX KJAX KJAX - Duval - Jacksonville, Jacksonville International Airport
KNIP KNIP KNIP KNIP + Duval - Jacksonville, Naval Air Station
KNRB KNRB KNRB KNRB + Duval - Mayport, Naval Air Facility
KVQQ KVQQ KVQQ KVQQ + Duval - Cecil Field
KNZC ? Duval - Cecil Field NAS
K23J ? Duval - Herlong
KNPA KNPA KNPA KNPA - Escambia - Pensacola, Naval Air Station
KPNS KPNS KPNS KPNS - Escambia - Pensacola, Pensacola Regional Airport
KAAF KAAF KAAF KAAF - Franklin - Apalachicola, Apalachicola
KBKV KBKV KBKV KBKV - Hernando - Brooksville, Hernando County Airport
KTPA KTPA KTPA KTPA - Hillsborough - Tampa, Tampa International Airport
KMCF KMCF KMCF KMCF + Hillsborough - Macdill Air Force Base, Fl.
KVDF KVDF KVDF KVDF - Hillsborough - Vandenberg Airport
KVRB KVRB KVRB KVRB - Indian River - Vero Beach, Vero Beach Municipal Airport
KMAI KMAI KMAI KMAI - Jackson - Marianna, Marianna Municipal Airport
KLEE KLEE KLEE KLEE - Lake - Leesburg, Leesburg Municipal Airport
KVVG KVVG KVVG KVVG - Lake - The Villages
KFMY KFMY KFMY KFMY - Lee - Fort Myers, Page Field
KRSW KRSW KRSW KRSW - Lee - Fort Myers, Southwest Florida International Airport
KTLH KTLH KTLH KTLH - Leon - Tallahassee, Tallahassee Regional Airport
KSRQ KSRQ KSRQ KSRQ - Manatee - Sarasota/Bradenton, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
KOCF KOCF KOCF KOCF - Marion - Ocala Municipal
KSUA KSUA KSUA KSUA - Martin - Witham Field
KFLM ? Monroe - Flamingo
KMTH KMTH KMTH KMTH - Monroe - Marathon, Marathon Airport
KEYW KEYW KEYW KEYW - Monroe - Key West, Key West International Airport
KNQX KNQX KNQX KNQX + Monroe - Key West, Naval Air Station
KCEW KCEW KCEW KCEW - Okaloosa - Crestview, Sikes Airport
KDTS KDTS KDTS KDTS - Okaloosa - Destin, Destin-Ft. Walton Beach Airport
KVPS KVPS KVPS KVPS + Okaloosa - Valparaiso/Eglin Air Force Base
KHRT KHRT KHRT KHRT + Okaloosa - Hurlburt Field
KORL KORL KORL KORL - Orange - Orlando, Orlando Executive Airport
KMCO KMCO KMCO KMCO - Orange - Orlando, Orlando International Airport
KISM KISM KISM KISM - Osceola - Orlando / Kissimmee Municipal Airport
KPBI KPBI KPBI KPBI - Palm Beach - West Palm Beach, Palm Beach International Airport
KBCT KBCT KBCT KBCT - Palm Beach - Boca Raton Airport
KRRF ? Pasco - New Port Richey
KPIE KPIE KPIE KPIE - Pinellas -St. Petersburg/Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport
KSPG KSPG KSPG KSPG - Pinellas - St. Petersburg, Whitted Airport
KBOW KBOW KBOW KBOW - Polk - Bartow Municipal
KLAL KLAL KLAL KLAL - Polk - Lakeland Regional
KGIF KGIF KGIF KGIF - Polk - Winter Haven, Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport
KFPR KFPR KFPR KFPR - St. Lucie - Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County International Airport
KSGJ KSGJ KSGJ KSGJ - St. Johns - St. Augustine, St. Augustine Airport
KNSE KNSE KNSE KNSE + Santa Rosa - Milton, Whiting Field North
KVNC ? Sarasota - Venice
KSFB KSFB KSFB KSFB - Seminole - Orlando / Sanford Airport
K40J K40J K40J K40J - Taylor - Perry-Foley, Perry-Foley Airport
KDAB KDAB KDAB KDAB - Volusia - Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Regional Airport
KEVB KEVB KEVB KEVB - Volusia - New Smyrna Beach
KOMN KOMN KOMN KOMN - Volusia - Ormond Beach Municipal Airport

The Central Florida Tornado Outbreak of Feb. 22nd & 23rd, 1998
_
I concluded a tornado would pass near me over twelve hours before it really did. Government websites and detailed products on the Internet produced by the government helped me determine that. So instead of going to bed due to expectation of nearby tornadoes, I stayed up that night checking the weather on the Internet and listening to amateur radio skywarn nets and NOAA weather radio. But the weather radio transmitter later got knocked off the air, which is a reason why it is very important to have another backup weather channel, amateur radio skywarn nets, and the ability to monitor government public-safety services. The weather radio and radio scanner programmed to skywarn nets, public-safety government agencies, CB radio, etc. gave me the earliest warning before I did actually hear the tornando coming. A rapidly increasing low frequency rumble to a deafly oscillating roar and nearby crunching sound of debris and cars being tossed around is something I will never forget. Three people about a mile from me were killed by this one tornado and many more were killed by other tornadoes in the region.

F SCALE	WINDS	TYPE OF DAMAGE	FREQUENCY
F0	40-72 mph 35-62 kt	LIGHT: Some damage to chimneys, TV antennas, roof shingles; breaks twigs and branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages signboards; some windows broken.	29%
F1	73-112 mph 63-97 kt	MODERATE: Peels surfaces off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; outbuildings demolished; moving autos pushed off the roads; trees snapped or broken.	40%
F2	113-157 mph 98-136 kt	CONSIDERABLE: Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; frame houses with weak foundations lifted and moved; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated.	24%
F3	158-206 mph 137-179 kt	SEVERE: Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forests uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; weak pavement blown off roads. Metal buildings collapsed or are severely damaged.	6%
F4	207-260 mph 180-226 kt	DEVASTATING: Well constructed homes leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and disintegrated; large missiles generated; trees in forest uprooted and carried some distance away. Large steel and concrete missiles thrown far distances.	2%
F5	261-318 mph 227-276 kt	INCREDIBLE: Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distance to disintegrate; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 300 ft (100 m); trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur. Homes leveled with all debris removed. Schools, motels, and other larger structures have considerable damage with exterior walls and roofs gone. Top stories demolished.	less than 1%