Fort Lauderdale Weather
Locals often joke that Fort Lauderdale has two seasons: Hot and Hotter. This isn't too far from the truth. Few places in the United States have a higher median temperature than South Florida. In general, the best time to visit weather-wise is between November 1 and May 1, with the best of the best in Mid-November to Mid-December and again from Mid-March through April. During this period, you'll experience daytime highs of between 70 and 82 degrees, with nightime lows of about 60. Not bad, eh? Well, that's one reason why Fort Lauderdale has a large seasonal population, known as Snowbirds.
The other reason that town clears out after Easter is the onset of "Rainy Season." This begins in late May and runs until the end of October. It's not as bad as it sounds in terms of rain most days. If you look at any weather forecast you might be led to believe that it's raining all day, every day. This isn't really the case. Although it does rain most days, the rain usually is concentrated between 2 and 5PM and usually only lasts about an hour. Unlike northern climates, in S. Florida, rain doesn't lower the humidity -- it simply adds to it. In fact, while temperatures in the middle of summer rarely climb above the low 90's, the oppressive humidity makes it feel like 110 degrees nearly every day from June through October. While the hot weather isn't for everyone, the town is much easier to navigate. Restaurant help is friendlier, the roads are less clogged and prices are lower during the Rainy Season. Stay near a pool or the beach and remember to stay in the shade. Sunscreen often can't compete with UV indices in the 13 - 15 range, which you'll get from May through June. It also brings the ocean temperature up to a nearly unbelievable 88 degrees by the end of summer (it only drops to the low 70s in the middle of winter). This is one of the primary reasons we have hurricanes.
Everybody wants to know about hurricanes -- and the good news here is that if you're a gambling man, Lauderdale is due for a run of hurricane-free years. If you're a meterologist, you probably have a different take, as many say we're in the middle of a period of increased cyclonic activity that will last roughly another 5 years. But in nearly 4 decades, this city got batted around but managed to avoid the full force of a hurricane until the 2004 and 2005 seasons, when cyclonic activity was nearly constant. Although it didn't get nearly as much press as Katrina (nor should it have), Hurricane Wilma put a hurting on Lauderdale, leaving the area without power for weeks and removing nearly 30% of the tree canopy, which was slight to begin with. Katrina first made U.S. landfall just south of the FLL airport, killing six in FL before moving on to demolish the Gulf Coast. No doubt, hurricanes are something to think about, but my point is don't get too worked up about them. Unlike tornados or earthquakes, you can see hurricanes coming days in advance and the chance of a direct strike is very low.
This is a subtropical environment, prone to extremes. When it's hot and humid, it's hot and humid like you've never felt before. When it rains here, it's often Biblical -- up to 3 inches per hour. When it's sunny and dry, which is about 7 months out of the year, it's about as perfect as it gets. Come on down and check it out for yourself!
