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NOUS42 KMLB 080228
PNSMLB

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
928 PM EST Fri Feb 7 2025

...January 2025 Was Drier and Much Colder Than Normal Across East
Central Florida...

Several strong cold fronts pushed through the area in January,
leading to long periods of below normal temperatures across the
region. Average temperatures for the month ended up around 2 to 5
degrees lower than normal and were within the top 15 coldest
rankings for January at most sites. For most locations it was the
coldest January since 2010 as well. Periods of showers and light to
moderate rain occurred with some of these passing fronts, especially
from the 19th through the 23rd. However, rainfall totals were
generally between 1-3 inches, with most of the area seeing amounts
for January that ended up below normal by 0.50-1.50 inches.


...Temperatures...

The first of January started with a cold front pushing southward
through the area, and this would be one of several to cross central
Florida through the month. The frequent passage of this boundaries
and periods of lingering northerly winds behind fronts helped keep
temperatures colder than normal for long stretches. In fact, outside
of the 1st and a brief warm up on the 6th, daily average
temperatures stayed below normal (at times as much as 10 to 15
degrees below normal) for the first half of the month. The lowest
minimum temperatures through mid month occurred on the 9th and 10th
when lows fell into the mid 30s to low 40s for most sites. Some more
rural locations across northern Lake and inland Volusia counties
even reached freezing.

Another brief warm up occurred through the 18th and 19th, with highs
on the 19th reaching the mid to upper 80s across southern portions
of east central Florida. In fact, Vero Beach not only tied their
record high of 88 degrees on the 19th, but this also tied for their
warmest maximum temperature on record for the month of January! A
strong cold front then followed, with another very cold period
setting in from the 20th through the 25th. Temperatures were around
10 to 20 degrees below normal during this time. The lowest maximum
temperatures were on the 22nd and 23rd, with highs only reaching the
40s to low 50s across northern portions of east central Florida,
setting or tying several cool high temperature records. The lowest
minimum temperatures of the month and season for several sites
occurred on the morning of the 25th, as lows once again dropped to
the 30s to low 40s. While freezing temperatures were observed across
portions of Lake and inland Volusia counties, Leesburg remained just
above freezing, falling to 34 degrees that morning. Therefore, all
primary climate sites once again escaped falling to or below the
freezing mark despite the much colder pattern.

Temperatures warmed through the last several days of the month, but
the more dominant colder pattern through much of the month led to
monthly average temperature departures that were around 2 to 5
degrees below normal. It was the 8th coldest January on record at
Daytona Beach, 9th coldest at Leesburg, and 10th coldest at
Melbourne and Sanford (tying 1976/1970). While not in the top ten
coldest rankings, it was close at Orlando and Fort Pierce, with
January 2025 ranking as the 15th coldest on record (tying 1902) at
Orlando and 13th coldest (tying 1976) at Fort Pierce. It was also
the coldest January since 2010 for almost all sites, with the
exception of Vero Beach where it was the coldest since 2011.


Daily Record Temperatures for the Month:


Daytona Beach:
- January 22nd: Tied record cool high of 47 degrees last set in 1961.

Leesburg:
- January 23rd: Record cool high of 47 degrees. Previous record
was 48 degrees last set in 1985.

Sanford:
- No daily temperature records set or tied.

Orlando:
- January 22nd: Record cool high of 47 degrees. Previous record was
48 degrees last set in 1985.
- January 23rd: Record cool high of 49 degrees. Previous record was
51 degrees last set in 1960.

Melbourne:
- January 23rd: Record cool high of 52 degrees. Previous record was
53 degrees last set in 1987.

Vero Beach:
- January 19th: Tied record high of 88 degrees last set in 1943.
This was also the warmest maximum temperature on record for the
month of January at this site, tying the previous record last set on
January 31st, 1991.

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


Average temperatures for January 2025 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 53.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 5.2 degrees below normal. This ranks as the
8th coldest January on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1923.

- Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 54.2 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 5.2 degrees below normal. This ranks as the
9th coldest January on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1958.

- Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 55.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.8 degrees below normal. This ties January
1976 and 1970 as the 10th coldest January on record for this site,
with records dating back to 1948.

- Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 56.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.0 degrees below normal.

- Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 57.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.3 degrees below normal. This ranks as the
10th coldest January on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1937.

- Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 60.5 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 2.3 degrees below normal.

- Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 59.7 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 2.6 degrees below normal.


...Rainfall...

The first several days of the new year started off dry. Then
scattered showers moved across areas near to north of Orlando on the
6th ahead of a passing cold front. Dry conditions then prevailed for
a few days after, before more widespread light rain (amounts
generally less than 0.10 inches) occurred across the area on the
11th. Periods of additional isolated to scattered showers or areas
of light rain either accompanied cold fronts or the passage of a
couple of weak areas of low pressure across the state through mid-
month. However, rainfall still remained rather low with any of this
activity. Rainfall increased through the 19th through the 23rd,
starting with scattered showers and storms crossing the area on the
19th ahead of a cold front. Some storms were strong, with one
isolated severe storm producing damaging wind gusts up to 60-66 mph
and one inch diameter hail across northern Brevard County. Rounds of
moderate to at times heavy rainfall then pushed eastward across the
area on the 21st and 22nd, with widespread, but light rainfall
across the area on the 23rd. Dry conditions then prevailed from the
24th through the remainder of January.

Precipitation totals for January 2025 ranged from 1-3 inches for
most locations, with the majority of rainfall for the month
occurring during the more active weather period from the 19th
through the 23rd. For most of the climate sites these totals were
still below normal for the month, with rainfall deficits of around
0.50-1.50 inches. No sites had totals that ranked within the top ten
driest for January, but at Leesburg it was close, with the 1.16
inches for the month ranking January 2025 as the 14th driest on
record.


Daily Record Rainfall for the Month:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Pierce:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.


January 2025 rainfall totals for the primary climate sites across east
central Florida are as follows (ranking provided if in the top 10):

- Daytona Beach received 2.08 inches of rain for the month, which
was 0.65 inches below normal.

- Leesburg received 1.16 inches of rain for the month, which was
1.35 inches below normal.

- Sanford received 1.38 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.98
inches below normal.

- Orlando received 1.57 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.91
inches below normal.

- Melbourne received 1.59 inches of rain for the month, which was
1.04 inches below normal.

- Vero Beach received 1.13 inches of rain for the month, which was
1.61 inches below normal.

- Fort Pierce received 1.12 inches of rain for the month, which was
1.70 inches below normal.


Below is a list of observed precipitation totals and rainfall
statistics for select sites across east central Florida for
January 2025:

Station       January 2025     Normal      Departure    Percent of
                Rainfall      Rainfall    From Normal     Normal

Daytona Beach    2.08"         2.73"        -0.65"         76%
(DAB)
Orlando          1.57"         2.48"        -0.91"         63%
(MCO)
Melbourne        1.59"         2.63"        -1.04"         60%
(MLB)
Vero Beach       1.13"         2.74"        -1.61"         41%
(VRB)
Clermont*        1.99"         2.84"        -0.85"         70%
(CLRF1)
Leesburg         1.16"         2.51"        -1.35"         46%
(LEE)
DeLand*          1.57"         3.07"        -1.50"         51%
(DELF1)
Sanford          1.38"         2.36"        -0.98"         58%
(SFB)
Titusville*      1.35"         3.05"        -1.70"         44%
(TITF1)
Fort Pierce      1.12"         2.82"        -1.70"         40%
(FPR)
Stuart*          1.36"         3.01"        -1.65"         45%
(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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