Miami-Dade sees record rain for December
Let ‘em make snow angels up North.
Winters in Miami, at least this particular December, are for jumping in puddles.
Five days into the month on Saturday, Miami had received enough rainfall for December to rank as the third “wettest” in history with a total 7.67 inches, the National Weather Service reported.
Only the Decembers of 1929 and 1905 have seen more rainfall — but this month is only a week old.
After a very wet start to the month for parts of #SoFla, #Miami is now in the Top 5 Wettest Decembers. #flwx pic.twitter.com/buMzJSPJTe
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) December 5, 2015“We don’t see this every year,” said David Ross, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Miami. “But it’s always a possibility.”
The reason behind this month’s record rainfall?
A front that rolled down the state and then stalled out over South Florida, pulling up extra moisture from the south, Ross said.
“That’s what helps us get these all-day-long rain events,” he said.
All day Saturday a steady, soggy drumbeat of rain fell across South Florida: 2.4 inches in West Palm Beach, 4.8 inches in Fort Lauderdale, 2.9 inches in Miami, and 8.5 inches in West Kendall-Tamiami.
Inundated streets, parking lots and fields were testimony to the persistent precipitation as the NWS issued urban flood warnings for Kendall, Goulds and the Redland.
Homebound and bored but still receiving reliable Internet service, some residents of South Miami-Dade vented their rain-soaked frustrations on the social media site, Twitter.
@NWSMiami street flooding in kendall 106st and 122av pic.twitter.com/WQdNKzCqLR
— Dennis coppi (@foolykooly223) December 5, 2015Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Zapata, whose district in the southwestern part of the county saw the heaviest rainfall Saturday, issued a flood warning via mass email in the evening.
He noted that roads were flooded, and some had to be closed by police, including the area around Southwest 102nd Street and 147th Avenue, and Southwest 162nd Avenue from Kendall Drive to 104th Street.
Despite receiving so much rainfall in such a short time, weather weary South Florida residents will not see sunny relief for another few days, said Ross, the NWS meteorologist.
“We’re still looking at 60 to 70 percent chances for [Sunday] and even into Monday,” he said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Miami-Dade sees record rain for December."