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NOUS42 KMLB 062009
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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
309 PM EST Wed Nov 6 2024

...October 2024 Was Warmer Than Normal with Above to Well Above
Normal Rainfall Across East Central Florida...

October 2024 will be primarily remembered for the impacts that
Hurricane Milton brought to the area. Milton made landfall along the
west coast of Florida, near Siesta Key, as a major Category 3
hurricane on the evening of the 9th, crossing central Florida and
shifting offshore the Brevard County coast early in the morning on
the 10th. Milton produced significant rainfall and considerable
flooding across portions of the area. It led to damage from
hurricane-force wind gusts, as well as numerous tornadoes ahead of
the center`s approach on the 9th, with 19 confirmed tornadoes alone
across east central Florida. This ranks as the largest tornado
outbreak across the east central Florida area in the NWS Melbourne
office`s 35-year history.

The heaviest rainfall from Hurricane Milton occurred near to north
of the center, with totals as high as 10-15 inches near to just
north of the I-4 corridor. Rainfall totals then decreased farther
south and inland, with totals around 1-3 inches farther south of
Orlando and west of I-95. Behind Miltons exit, northerly winds
ushered in drier air, which led to the start of the dry season
across east central Florida. Through the second half of October,
rainfall was mostly limited to periods of isolated to scattered
onshore moving showers due to a strong area of high pressure that
largely dominated across the eastern United States. Despite drier
than normal conditions from mid-month onward, the significant
rainfall from Hurricane Milton and generally wetter than normal
start to October, led to rainfall totals for the month that were
above to well above normal across the area. For several locations
across the area, October 2024 ranked within the top 5 wettest on
record and it was the wettest October ever on record for Sanford!

Temperatures were warmer than normal to start the month. However,
increased cloud cover and rainfall associated with a stalled frontal
boundary and the passage of Milton did lead to near to slightly
below normal temperatures for several days after the 5th. A cold
frontal passage on the 16th also lead to a brief cool down during
mid-month. Otherwise, for much of the second half of October, daily
average temperatures typically remained near to above normal.
Average temperatures for the month were mostly above normal by 1-2
degrees, but were closer to normal for Leesburg and Sanford.


...Temperatures...

Through the 5th of October warmer than normal conditions prevailed,
with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and lows mainly in the 70s.
However, at Melbourne on the 4th, the temperature didnt drop below
80 degrees, which set a warm minimum temperature record for the day
at this site. Increasing cloud cover and rainfall with a front that
stalled across south Florida and as Milton approached and moved
through central Florida, then led to a general drop in high
temperatures. However, overnight conditions remained warm and muggy.
Highs, especially across northern portions of east central Florida
at times did not rise out of the mid to upper 70s from the 6th
through the 10th. Northerly winds on the back side of exiting Milton
did usher in some drier air that allowed temperatures across inland
areas near to northwest of I-4 to drop below the 70-degree mark late
on the 10th and into the early morning of the 11th. This was the
first time for many of these sites to see lows in the 60s since
early June.

Even cooler air moved into the region briefly after a cold front
passed through on the 16th, with temperatures falling into the 50s
across interior areas late that evening and into the early morning
of the 17th. These were the lowest temperatures for the month, and
it was the first time below 60 degrees since late April of this year
at these sites! Beyond this front, onshore flow typically prevailed
into the rest of October, which kept temperatures near to above
normal to end out the month. Highs remained in the 80s, with lows in
the 60s to 70s.

Due to the limited breaks from the near to above normal temperatures
through the month, average temperatures for October 2024 generally
ended up warmer than normal at most sites by 1 to 2 degrees.
However, at Leesburg and Sanford they were a little closer to
normal, with departures around 0.1 to 0.4 degrees above normal,
respectively. Monthly average temperatures were not high enough to
rank within the top 10 warmest, but it was close for a few sites,
with October 2024 ranking as 12th warmest (tying 2016, 2002 and
1998) at Vero Beach, 13th warmest (tying 2018) at Daytona Beach and
15th warmest at Melbourne.


Daily Record Temperatures for the Month:


Daytona Beach:
- October 30th: Tied record warm low of 74 degrees last set in 2019.

Leesburg:
- No daily temperature records set or tied.

Sanford:
- October 3rd: Tied record warm low of 76 degrees last set in 2017.

Orlando:
- No daily temperature records set or tied.

Melbourne:
- October 4th: Record warm low of 80 degrees. Previous record was 79
degrees last set in 1995.

Vero Beach:
- October 31st: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 2007.

Fort Pierce:
- No daily temperature records set or tied.


Average temperatures for October 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 76.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 2.0 degrees above normal.

- Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 75.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 0.1 degrees above normal.

- Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 75.9 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 0.4 degrees above normal.

- Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 76.8 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 1.3 degrees above normal.

- Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 77.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 1.1 degrees above normal.

- Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 78.1 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 1.2 degrees above normal.

- Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 77.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 1.2 degrees above normal.


...Rainfall...

Scattered to at times numerous showers and storms continued daily
through the 5th of October, with periods of locally heavy rainfall
occurring. Sanford actually had a record daily rainfall total of
2.19 inches on the 1st of the month. A frontal boundary that stalled
across south Florida then led to an increase in moisture, with
onshore flow developing and increasing rainfall across the area
through the 8th. Locally higher rainfall occurred, especially along
the coast as persistent showers and isolated storms developed.
Another daily rainfall record was set on the 6th at Vero Beach,
where 2.69 inches of rain fell.

Hurricane Milton then approached the west coast of Florida on the
9th, with individual storms and outer rainbands from this system
beginning to impact the area. This activity not only produced
numerous tornadoes across central and south Florida, but also began
to produce locally heavy rainfall and flooding across the region.
Milton made landfall along the west coast of Florida, near Siesta
Key around 8:30 PM on the 9th, as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane,
with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. The center of Milton then
shifted east-northeast across central Florida and eventually exited
off the Brevard County coast around 5:00 AM on the 10th.

Total rainfall from Milton was greatest near to north of the center
and along the coast. Highest amounts around 10-15 inches occurred
near to just north of the I-4 corridor from southern Lake County
northeast through western Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.
Elsewhere across northern portions of east central Florida and along
Brevard and portions of the Treasure Coast, amounts typically ranged
from 4-9 inches, decreasing to 1-3 inches toward Martin County and
west of I-95 across inland areas south of a line from Kissimmee to
St. Cloud. Additional rainfall records were set from Milton on the
9th and 10th for sites across the area (see records list below). The
most notable were at Leesburg and Sanford, which not only set a
daily rainfall record on the 9th, with amounts of 4.79 inches and
6.77 inches, respectively; but these totals were also the greatest
daily rainfall totals for the month of October at these sites.

Shower coverage decreased after Miltons exit through the 11th and
13th as drier air filtered into the region, and little to no
rainfall occurred across the area through the 14th through the 19th.
From the 20th onward, any additional rainfall was mainly limited to
isolated to scattered onshore moving showers due to high pressure
across the eastern U.S. that generally persisted through the latter
half of the month. Rainfall during the entire second half of the
month only amounted to around a half an inch to an inch along the
coast and was generally less than a half inch across the interior.

The wetter first half of the month, largely from Milton, led to
totals that were above to well above normal across east central
Florida. Rainfall totals for the month ranged from 10-15 inches
across to just north of the I-4 corridor and along portions of the
coast, with locally higher totals up to 18-20 inches in spots across
Volusia County. Totals then decreased farther south and inland to as
low as 4 inches toward the Lake Okeechobee region. It ended up being
the wettest October on record at Sanford with a total of 13.58
inches at this site, breaking the previous record of 11.42 inches
set in October 1958. It was the 2nd wettest October on record at
Leesburg, 4th wettest at Vero Beach and 5th wettest at Daytona
Beach.


Daily Record Rainfall for the Month:

Daytona Beach:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.

Leesburg:
- October 9th: Record rainfall of 4.79 inches. Previous record was
1.70 inches set in 1960. This is also the highest daily rainfall
total to occur during the month of October at this site, breaking
the previous record of 3.02 inches set on October 24th, 2005.
- October 10th: Record rainfall of 1.60 inches. Previous record was
1.15 inches set in 1971.

Sanford:
- October 1st: Record rainfall of 2.19 inches. Previous record was
1.14 inches set in 2016.
- October 9th: Record rainfall of 6.77 inches. Previous record was
3.18 inches set in 2008. This is also the highest daily rainfall
total to occur during the month of October at this site, breaking
the previous record of 5.96 inches set on October 6th, 2016.
- October 10th: Record rainfall of 3.31 inches. Previous record was
3.07 inches set in 1995.

Orlando:
- October 9th: Record rainfall of 3.79 inches. Previous record was
2.74 inches set in 1900.

Melbourne:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.

Vero Beach:
- October 6th: Record rainfall of 2.69 inches. Previous record was
2.12 inches set in 1961.
- October 9th: Record rainfall of 7.71 inches. Previous record was
1.87 inches set in 1989.

Fort Pierce:
- October 9th: Record rainfall of 4.46 inches. Previous record was
2.91 inches set in 1957.

October 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 13.37 inches of rain for the month, which
was 8.52 inches above normal. This ranks as the 5th wettest October
on record for this site, with records dating back to 1923.

- Leesburg received 7.97 inches of rain for the month, which was
5.35 inches above normal. This ranks as the 2nd wettest October on
record for this site, with records dating back to 1958.

- Sanford received 13.58 inches of rain for the month, which was
9.68 inches above normal. This ranks as the wettest October on
record for this site, breaking the previous record of 11.42 inches
set in October 1958. Records for this site date back to 1948.

- Orlando received 5.13 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.67
inches above normal.

- Melbourne received 8.17 inches of rain for the month, which was
3.31 inches above normal.

- Vero Beach received 14.14 inches of rain for the month, which was
8.81 inches above normal. This ranks as the 4th wettest October on
record for this site, with records dating back to 1942.

- Fort Pierce received 9.35 inches of rain for the month, which was
4.10 inches above normal.


Cooperative Observer Station Rainfall Rankings (Note: These totals
for October end around 7 AM on the 31st):

- Clermont received 8.30 inches of rain for the month, which ranks
as the 3rd wettest October on record for this site, with records
dating back to 1948.

- Titusville received 13.43 inches of rain for the month, which
ranks as the 7th wettest October on record for this site, with
records dating back to 1901.


Below is a list of observed precipitation totals and rainfall
statistics for select sites across east central Florida for
October 2024:

Station       October 2024     Normal      Departure    Percent of
                Rainfall      Rainfall    From Normal     Normal

Daytona Beach   13.37"         4.85"        +8.52"        276%
(DAB)
Orlando          5.13"         3.46"        +1.67"        148%
(MCO)
Melbourne        8.17"         4.86"        +3.31"        168%
(MLB)
Vero Beach      14.14"         5.33"        +8.81"        265%
(VRB)
Clermont*        8.30"         2.71"        +5.59"        306%
(CLRF1)
Leesburg         7.97"         2.62"        +5.35"        304%
(LEE)
Sanford         13.58"         3.90"        +9.68"        348%
(SFB)
Titusville*     13.43"         5.06"        +8.37"        265%
(TITF1)
Fort Pierce      9.35"         5.25"        +4.10"        178%
(FPR)
Stuart*         10.53"         6.46"        +4.07"        163%
(STRF1)

*Rainfall totals for the month end around 7 AM on the 31st.

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.

$$

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