067
NOUS42 KMLB 060103
PNSMLB

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
803 PM EST Wed Mar 5 2025

...February 2025 Was Much Warmer Than Normal Across East Central
Florida...

After a colder than normal January, temperatures warmed up
considerably into February. In fact, the first half of the month was
dominated by much warmer than normal conditions, with daily average
temperatures often up to 5 to 15 degrees above normal through the
16th. Passage of stronger cold fronts and areas of low pressure
during the second half of the month finally led to periods of cooler
weather. However, this was not enough to offset the more significant
warmth through early to mid-February, and led to average monthly
temperatures that were around 4 to 5 degrees warmer than normal.
This ranked February 2025 within the top 15 warmest on record for
all climate sites across east central Florida.

Mostly dry conditions prevailed during the first several days of
February, as frontal passages were limited. Precipitation did pick
up from mid to late month across the area. However, the majority of
rainfall in February came from rounds of widespread rainfall,
locally heavy in spots, associated with a stalled front and area of
weak low pressure on the 24th through early on the 25th. Overall,
rainfall ended up near to above normal for the month near to south
of a line from Orlando to the Cape, with drier than normal
conditions north of this line.


...Temperatures...

A weak cold front moved through on the 1st of the month, but
temperatures still started off just slightly above normal. A
dominant ridge aloft then limited additional frontal passages across
the region, leading to much warmer than normal temperatures through
early to mid-month.  Highs were often in the upper 70s to mid 80s
through the 16th, with lows typically in the mid 50s to mid 60s,
which led to daily average temperatures through this period that
were 5 to 15 degrees above normal. At times temperatures were even
slightly higher, with highs reaching the upper 80s and lows in the
upper 60s to around 70 degrees from the 12th through the 16th,
leading to several high and warm minimum temperature records being
tied or broken across the area. On the 13th, Daytona Beach had a
high of 89 degrees, which was not only a record for the day, but
also tied their warmest maximum temperature for the month of
February, which was last set on February 1st, 1985.

A stronger cold front then moved through late on the 16th into early
on the 17th, beginning a trend of cooler conditions into the
remainder of the month, as ridge aloft broke down and additional
fronts moved through the area. The lowest temperatures during the
month occurred behind one of these stronger cold fronts on the 21st,
with lows that morning falling to the mid to upper 30s near to
northwest of I-4 and low to mid 40s across much of the rest of east
central Florida. The high at Daytona Beach only reached 56 degrees
that afternoon, which broke their record cool high by a degree for
that date. Despite the overall cooler second half of the month, the
well above normal warmth during the first half still led to average
monthly temperature departures that were 4 to 5 degrees warmer that
normal. For all sites this ranked February 2025 within the top 15
warmest, anywhere from 6th warmest at Orlando (tying 1927) to 12th
warmest at Daytona Beach.


Daily Record Temperatures for the Month:

Daytona Beach:
- February 12th: Record high of 85 degrees. Previous record was 84
degrees last set in 2021.
- February 13th: Record high of 89 degrees. Previous record was 86
degrees last set in 2020. This also tied as the warmest maximum
temperature on record for the month of February at this site, last
set on February 1st, 1985.
- February 15th: Record warm low of 68 degrees. Previous record was
65 degrees last set in 1990.
- February 21st: Record cool high of 56 degrees. Previous record was
57 degrees last set in 2020.

Leesburg:
- February 13th: Tied record high of 88 degrees last set in 2020.

Sanford:
- February 13th: Tied record high of 88 degrees last set in 2020.
- February 15th: Record warm low of 69 degrees. Previous record was
68 degrees last set in 1997.

Orlando:
- February 15th: Record warm low of 69 degrees. Previous record was
67 degrees last set in 2021.

Melbourne:
- February 13th: Tied record high of 88 degrees last set in 2021.
- February 15th: Record warm low of 70 degrees. Previous record was
69 degrees last set in 2021.

Vero Beach:
- February 15th: Tied record warm low of 70 degrees last set in
1990.
- February 16th: Record high of 85 degrees. Previous record was 84
degrees last set in 2018.

Fort Pierce:
- February 14th: Tied record warm low of 69 degrees last set in
1949.
- February 15th: Record warm low of 70 degrees. Previous record was
69 degrees last set in 1982.


Average temperatures for February 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 65.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.0 degrees above normal.

- Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 66.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.0 degrees above normal. This ranks as the
8th warmest February on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1958.

- Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 67.6 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.5 degrees above normal. This ranks as the
7th warmest February on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1948.

- Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 68.7 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 5.1 degrees above normal. This ties February
1927 as the 6th warmest February on record for this site, with
records dating back to 1892.

- Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 68.9 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.9 degrees above normal. This ranks as the
7th warmest February on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1937.

- Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 69.1 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.1 degrees above normal. This ranks as the
9th warmest February on record for this site, with records dating
back to 1942.

- Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 69.4 degrees
Fahrenheit, which was 4.6 degrees above normal. This ties February
1957 as the 10th warmest February on record for this site, with
records dating back to 1901.


...Rainfall...

Light isolated showers occurred through the first few days of
February. Conditions then remained completely dry from the 3rd
through the 10th as a dominant ridge aloft blocked frontal passages
and suppressed any shower development. Scattered showers and
isolated storms formed across the area on the 13th ahead of a
passing cold front, bringing some much needed rain to portions of
the area. Highest totals around 0.75 to 1.25 inches occurred south
of Melbourne across Palm Bay to Port Saint Lucie. Scattered to
numerous light to moderate showers continued for a few days
following as front lifted back north as a warm front and then
another stronger cold front moved through late on the 16th through
early on the 17th. However, for many locations, precipitation totals
from the 14th through the 16th remained less than a half an inch.

A band of light rain moved into east central Florida with some
isolated showers developing out ahead as an area of low pressure
crossed along a stalled frontal boundary across central Florida on
the 19th. However, outside of some locally higher amounts across
Osceola County up to an inch, rainfall totals were again rather low.
The biggest rain maker for the month occurred on the 24th through
the predawn hours of the 25th. Rounds of widespread rainfall moved
through as a warm front lifted north and stalled across central
Florida, with an area of low pressure dragging the front south as it
crossed south Florida. Rainfall totals from this event were around
0.30 to 0.50 inches across northern Lake and Volusia counties, and
around 1 to 2 inches farther south across east central Florida. The
exception was across the Vero Beach and northern Fort Pierce areas
where localized higher totals of 3 to 5 inches of rain fell. Vero
Beach received 3.61 inches of rain on the 24th, which broke their
daily rainfall record and was also the highest daily rainfall total
for the month of February at this site!

Lowest precipitation totals for the month ranged from around a half
an inch to an inch north of a line from Orlando to the Cape, which
was around 1 to 1.50 inches below normal for February. For Leesburg
it was the 8th driest February on record with 0.73 inches, and at
Sanford it was the 11th driest February with 0.71 inches for the
month. Near to south of a line from Orlando to the Cape, rainfall
was either close to or above normal for much of the area. Totals
here ranged around 1.50 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts up
to 4 to 7 inches across eastern Indian River and far northern St.
Lucie counties. Vero Beach had its 5th wettest February on record,
with a total of 6.15 inches for the month, which was almost 4 inches
above normal.

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:
- February 24th: Record rainfall of 3.61 inches. Previous record was
1.68 inches set in 1975. This is also the highest daily rainfall
total to occur during the month of February at this site, breaking
the previous record of 2.65 inches set on February 23rd, 1966.

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


February 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 0.86 inches of rain for the month, which
was 1.48 inches below normal.

- Leesburg received 0.73 inches of rain for the month, which was
1.35 inches below normal. This ranks as the 8th driest February on
record for this site, with records dating back to 1958.

- Sanford received 0.71 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.54
inches below normal.

- Orlando received 1.29 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.75
inches below normal.

- Melbourne received 1.87 inches of rain for the month, which was
0.11 inches below normal.

- Vero Beach received 6.15 inches of rain for the month, which was
3.95 inches above normal. This ranks as the 5th wettest February on
record for this site, with records dating back to 1942.

- Fort Pierce received 4.39 inches of rain for the month, which was
2.22 inches above normal.


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

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

Daytona Beach    0.86"         2.34"        -1.48"         37%
(DAB)
Orlando          1.29"         2.04"        -0.75"         63%
(MCO)
Melbourne        1.87"         1.98"        -0.11"         94%
(MLB)
Vero Beach       6.15"         2.20"        +3.95"        280%
(VRB)
Clermont*        1.64"         2.29"        -0.65"         72%
(CLRF1)
Leesburg         0.73"         2.08"        -1.35"         35%
(LEE)
DeLand*          1.69"         2.44"        -0.75"         69%
(DELF1)
Sanford          0.71"         2.25"        -1.54"         32%
(SFB)
Titusville*      1.46"         2.56"        -1.10"         57%
(TITF1)
Fort Pierce      4.39"         2.17"        +2.22"        202%
(FPR)
Stuart*          2.50"         2.61"        -0.11"         96%
(STRF1)

*Rainfall totals for the month end around 7 AM on the 28th.

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.

$$

Weitlich