589 
AXUS72 KMFL 020144
DGTMFL

FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-041200

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
844 PM EST FRI MAR 1 2013

...MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS REMAIN OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF 
MIAMI-DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES...

...ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER THE REST OF SOUTH 
FLORIDA...

SYNOPSIS...

NEAR-NORMAL PRECIPITATION OCCURRED OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA, 
WITH BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL OVER FAR SOUTHERN AREAS. A SERIES OF 
FRONTAL SYSTEMS PROVIDED ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PRODUCE AN AVERAGE OF
1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN OVER SOUTH FLORIDA. 

HERE ARE SOME RAINFALL TOTALS AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL AT SEVERAL 
SITES ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THIS DRY SEASON STARTING FROM 
NOVEMBER 1, 2012 TO FEBRUARY 28, 2013, AND FROM JANUARY 1, 2013 TO 
FEBRUARY 28, 2013.

                             RAINFALL  : DEPARTURE  : RAINFALL  : DEPARTURE                                                            
                             NOV1-FEB28: NOV1-FEB28 : JAN1-FEB28: JAN1-FEB28
                             2012-2013 : 2012-2013  : 2013-2013 : 2013-2013
AIRPORTS

FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL :  4.70  :   -7.59    :    3.12   :   -3.47
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL           :  3.40  :   -5.78    :    2.39   :   -1.48
NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT      :  3.72  :   -3.72    :    1.82   :   -2.13
PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL      :  5.08  :   -9.00    :    3.19   :   -2.76 

SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES 

BELLE GLADE      (PALM BEACH) :  5.82  :   -2.34    :    2.39   :   -1.56
BIG CYPRESS      (COLLIER)    :  7.98  :   +0.75    :    4.05   :   +0.39
BRIGHTON RESERVATION (GLADES) :  5.75  :            :    3.90   :       
CLEWISTON        (HENDRY)     :  4.80  :   -2.66    :    3.16   :   -1.02
IMMOKALEE        (COLLIER)    :  5.11  :   -3.40    :    2.49   :   -2.17
LA BELLE         (HENDRY)     :  3.59  :   -4.76    :    2.42   :   -1.90
MIAMI BEACH      (MIAMI-DADE) :  4.01  :   -5.20    :    3.71   :   -0.71
MOOREHAVEN LOCK  (GLADES)     :  6.31  :   -1.04    :    4.28   :   +0.36
MUSE             (HENDRY)     :  3.85  :            :    2.26   :        


                              PERCENT OF NORMAL       PERCENT OF NORMAL
                             NOV1,2012-FEB28,2013    JAN1,2013-FEB28,2012
AIRPORTS

FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL        38%                      47%
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL                  37%                      62%
NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT             50%                      46%
PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL             36%                      54%

SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES

BELLE GLADE                          71%                      61% 
BIG CYPRESS                         110%                     111% 
CLEWISTON                            64%                      76%
IMMOKALEE                            60%                      53% 
LA BELLE                             43%                      56% 
MIAMI BEACH                          44%                      84% 
MOORE HAVEN LOCK                     86%                     109%

NOTE: SECONDARY OBSERVATIONS ARE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER SITES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BELLE GLADE AND 
CLEWISTON. THESE TWO EXCEPTIONS ARE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE FLORIDA 
AUTOMATED WEATHER NETWORK, OR FAWN. NORMAL VALUES ARE NOT AVAILABLE 
AT ALL OBSERVATION LOCATIONS, SUCH AS MUSE AND BRIGHTON RESERVATION.

THE SLIGHT INCREASE IN RAINFALL IN FEBRUARY RESULTED IN THE REMOVAL OF
MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS (D1) OVER METRO SOUTHEAST FLORIDA, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF SOUTHERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY.
THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH FLORIDA IS IN ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS (D0).
 
HYDROLOGICAL IMPACTS...

THE WATER LEVEL IN THE WELLS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA REMAIN AT 
NEAR-NORMAL CONDITIONS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 

AS OF LATE THIS WEEK, THE SURFACE WATER RESERVOIR LEVELS IN PALM 
BEACH COUNTY WERE AROUND 16.6 FEET, WHICH IS 0.9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. 
IN BROWARD COUNTY...THE RESERVOIR LEVELS WERE AROUND 11.5 FEET, WHICH 
IS 0.3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY...THE RESERVOIR LEVELS
WERE AROUND 9.7 FEET, WHICH IS 0.2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.

THE LEVEL OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE WAS AROUND 14.40 FEET AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 
WHICH IS ABOUT 0.13 FEET BELOW THE NORMAL LEVEL OF 14.53 FEET. THE 
LEVEL OF FISHEATING CREEK IN PALMDALE WAS 1.3 FEET AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 
WHICH IS 0.8 FEET BELOW THE NORMAL LEVEL OF 2.1 FEET FOR THIS TIME 
OF YEAR.

FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...

AS OF FEBRUARY 27...THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX (KBDI) WAS 550 TO
600 OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA, EXCEPT FOR HENDRY AND GLADES COUNTIES
WHERE IT WAS 450 TO 500 AND COLLIER COUNTY WHERE IT WAS 400 TO 450.
THIS PUTS MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN A HIGH RISK OF WILDFIRES EXCEPT
FOR GLADES, HENDRY AND COLLIER COUNTIES WHICH IS UNDER A MODERATE RISK
OF WILDFIRES.

RESPONSE/ACTIONS...

A BURN BAN IS IN PLACE FOR GLADES AND HENDRY COUNTIES.

THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS KEPT ALL OF THE LOCKS 
ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE OPEN.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HAS KEPT ALL OF SOUTH 
FLORIDA IN AN ANNUAL WATER RESTRICTION, WHICH LIMITS WATER USAGE AT 
THREE DAYS A WEEK. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WATER SHORTAGE CONDITIONS 
AND WATER USAGE RESTRICTION, PLEASE VISIT THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER 
MANAGEMENT WEB SITE AT WWW.SFWMD.GOV. 

OUTLOOK...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA THIS 
WEEKEND FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. UPPER-LEVEL 
DISTURBANCES NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN SOME SHOWERS
AFFECTING SOUTH FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND, FOLLOWED BY DRY WEATHER 
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

THE PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CALLS 
FOR AN ENHANCED LIKELIHOOD OF NEAR TO BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL THROUGH 
MID-MARCH. THE LONG TERM OUTLOOK FOR THE MARCH TO MAY PERIOD IS FOR 
AN ENHANCED LIKELIHOOD OF BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL.

THE NEXT UPDATE TO THIS DROUGHT STATEMENT WILL BE AROUND THE MIDDLE 
OF MARCH, UNLESS CONDITIONS CHANGE BEFORE THAT TIME. STAY TUNED TO 
NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND 
UPDATES.

$$

BAXTER/MOLLEDA