If you were hoping for a reprieve from the relentless Florida summer humidity and heat, the weather gods are not in your corner this week. According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, FL, today's forecast includes "showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 4pm and 5pm." With the mercury nudging a high near 92 degrees and heat index values sweltering as high as 105, it's a classic sticky scenario in which Floridians find themselves annually entrapped.
The current conditions in Jacksonville show a partly cloudy sky with a 90% humidity hangover and a calm wind that's about to shift northeast. The NWS update this morning warns of potential rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, an ostensibly small figure that, does not hold much weight considering the higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight's not much better on the downpour front, with "showers and thunderstorms likely before 2am," and a persistent probability of precipitation hovering at 60%.
The NWS forecast doesn't just stop there, though. Over the next few days, Jacksonville residents can anticipate an uninterrupted cycle of showers and potential thunderstorms. Thursday's chance of precipitation climbs to a soaking 90%, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The trend of turbulent weather with high probabilities of thunderstorms carries on through the weekend and into early next week, assuring that umbrellas remain a steadfast companion.
For those keeping score, Friday's and Saturday's weather patterns are starkly similar. With a high near 87 on Friday and creeping back to 88 on Saturday, thunderstorms are as predictable as the sunrise. The forecast states, complete with the confidence of a meteorological soothsayer, a 90% chance of precipitation during the daytime and dropping (but not by much) to 80% at night. The scenario reads like a broken record; Sunday and Monday promise more of the same, with the likelihood of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
To wrap up the week's outlook, Tuesday offers a slight, and emphasis on the slight, glimmer of diversity in the repetitive forecast with "showers and thunderstorms likely," amidst what the NWS optimistically calls "mostly sunny" conditions, with a high near 93 degrees. Despite the sunshine peeking through the thunderous cloak, the chance of precipitation is still pegged at a persistent 70%.
