For those of you in parts of the world that are just experiencing spring, or the late part of winter, it’s probably difficult for you to understand how things work down here in South Florida. We’re actually in the subtropics, as far south as you can go in the continental United States (in Key West a sign marks the “Southernmost Point”). So the weather here is usually grand, sometimes horrific, and always unpredictable.
Aside from hurricanes, weather in Fort Lauderdale is some of the best anywhere. Our “season”, basically September through early June, boasts moderate temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s, with a handful of evenings going down to the 50’s (and eeek! two or three in the 40’s!). From June to mid September the temperatures rise into the high 90’s during the day, usually cooled off by mid-afternoon showers that roll in from the Everglades. These are generalities. Here’s the fun part…sometimes, in the middle of the day when the sun is shining, a cloud will come up out of nowhere and there’ll be a downpour on your head. But don’t worry, that cloud will probably pass in five minutes and it will be sunny again. And sometimes the sun is shining through the pouring rain…If you want, you can walk across the street to where it isn’t raining.
Today when I got up the sun was shining, it was a cool 75°, and I almost put the top down on the ragtop. Good thing I didn’t, because half way to work on I-95 in Hollywood, the rain came down. Oh, it was still sunny, just wet. Good old Florida. Two miles later, I parked my Cruiser in a damp and sunny parking space, and didn’t need the umbrella.
The really funny thing is, it’s still “Spring Break” (which seems to start in March and go through the end of May), so I’m sure there are a few hundred (thousand?) pasty-looking mid-western spring breakers on the beach right now, who are just about to get a taste of Florida weather for real! I can just see them gathering up their supplies, blankets, coke bottles filled with rum, radios etc. and running for the bars to stay dry. By the time they get across A-1-A to the Elbo room, the rain will have passed…and it’ll start all over again!