As things get back to “normal” after the Thanksgiving holiday — as normal as they get this time of year — Mother Nature has a few surprises up her sleeve for Florida.
Think thunderstorms. Drought. The threat for a tornado or two. Gusty winds. Wildfire risks. Dangerous rip currents. And a rollercoaster sending temperatures from warm to below average as another cold front arrives.
As that’s just this week.
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While some rain is in the forecast for some areas early this week, the amount isn’t enough to ease the drought conditions across the Panhandle.
Much of the Panhandle is under either exceptional or extreme drought conditions, as of the latest figures released Nov. 25. Conditions around the rest of the state, with the exception of most of Central Florida and along the East Coast, are experiencing conditions ranging from abnormally dry to severe drought.
Here’s what you should know.
Weather watches and warnings issued across the U.S.
The National Weather Service said as much as six inches of snow could fall in some areas by Tuesday, Dec. 2.
➤ Snowstorms threaten to disrupt post-Thanksgiving travel. See forecast
Winter weather advisories, watches and warnings have been issued from as far south as Arkansas and North Carolina to Maine.
National weather radar shows storms moving across US
Will it rain in Florida this week?
Is there another cold front coming to Florida? How cold will it get?
Weather alerts issued in Florida
Current drought conditions in Florida
Most of Florida is either under abnormally dry conditions or under varying degrees of drought, with the worst conditions seen in and around the Tallahassee area in the central Panhandle.
Most of the Panhandle is under either “exceptional drought” or “extreme drought” conditions, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“In the Southeast, warm and dry conditions continued leading to expansion and intensification of drought conditions in the Florida Panhandle.”
While the worst conditions are in the Panhandle and Big Bend area, most of Florida is experiencing varying levels of either dry conditions or drought.
“In South Florida, areas of moderate drought expanded in response to precipitation shortfalls during the past 30-to-60-day period,” according to U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Drought is likely to persist across the area into the winter months due to the anticipated drier-than-normal conditions.”
Impacts of Florida drought include brush fires, farmers waiting for rain
According to the National Weather Service, impacts from the dry conditions in Florida include:
What Florida counties are under burn bans?
According to the Florida Forest Service, the following counties have enacted burn bans:
Weather radar, forecast for Pensacola, Florida
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Cold front. Drought. Tornado threats. See Florida forecast this week
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
