The weather in Florida is one of the factors that attracts visitors constantly. Similarly, it is a variable that plays in favor of property rentals for short periods throughout the year.

Essential facts about the climate in Florida

The first thing to know about the climate in Florida is that it is subtropical. This means that it has moderate winters and hot, sunny summers (Climates to Travel, n.d.).

Overall temperatures tend to be similar across the state, with a few exceptions. Well, the climate that is associated with Florida occurs predominantly in the center and south of the State. It has summers between 26 and 32 °C, and winters between 15 and 21 °C. In contrast, populations located to the north experience colder winters, with temperatures between 4 and 20 °C (Visit Florida, n.d.).

Although there is talk of summer and winter, the reality is that Florida does not experience seasons like other places in the Northern Hemisphere. Since the changes between spring, summer, autumn and winter can be minimal. However, there are differentiable seasons in terms of rainfall (Visit Florida, n.d.). These are:

  • The rainy season occurs between the end of May and the end of October. It usually brings 68% of the annual rainfall of the State. They manifest themselves in rains and storms, as well as high levels of humidity.
  • The dry season is between November and April, it is noticeably less humid.

Specific aspects of the climate in Florida

With this in mind, it is also important to know some particular dimensions of the climate in Florida (Climates to Travel, n.d.):

Weather behaviour in summer

Although the temperatures are high and it is very sunny, during these months clouds form and, consequently, storms. Usually, they bring strong winds and in some cases hail. In fact, Florida is the state most affected by lightning.

Tornadoes

Even though tornadoes in Florida are even more common than in the Great Plains of the United States, they are much weaker. There are only some intense ones during the winter or spring due to abrupt intrusions of cold air.

Hurricanes

Florida’s geographic location makes it vulnerable to hurricanes. The hurricane and tropical storm season runs from June to November. However, they happen most frequently between August and October.

Sunlight

Without a doubt, Florida is known for its sunny skies. The amount of sunlight in the state is high year-round. The south is slightly sunnier than the north. For example, the sun shines 70% of the time in Miami, to the south, but only 60% in Pensacola, to the north. The sunniest months in the south are March and April, while in the north they are April and May.

Weather in the different cities of Florida

This is the climate panorama of the main cities of the state (Climates to Travel, n.d.):

  • Pensacola has an average temperature of 12 °C in winter and 28 °C in summer. Jacksonville and Tallahassee are similar.
  • In Orlando, the average temperature in winter is 15 °C. In summer it rises considerably to 28 °C. Tampa’s climate is similar.
  • In Miami the average is even higher in winter: 20 °C. In summer it reaches 29 °C.

Best Time to Visit Florida

So, what are the favorite seasons for visitors? If it’s South Florida, the months between December and April are the best. This area is the perfect escape from the winter cold.

To the north and in the central region, the ideal periods are March and April, and October and November. This is because in these places there is more rainfall during summer and winter (Climates to Travel, n.d.).

Influence of climate on short rents

So how does the weather in Florida affect short-term rentals? There seems to be a trend of higher rents and higher prices during the summer months. Even though Florida offers warm destinations during the winter, people seem to enjoy its attractions more in the middle of the year (Niapan, 2019).

In any case, each season attracts different types of visitors with varied interests. It is also noteworthy that cities offer different climates even during the same period. In this way, the weather in Florida has something for everyone throughout the year, which also contributes to a healthy demand for short rentals during each month.

References

Climates to Travel. (n.d.). Climate – Florida (United States).

Niapan, S. (2019). Best Time of Year to Rent a Miami Apartment or Condo (For Landlords and Renters). Condo Black Book.

Visit Florida. (n.d.). The Most Common Florida Weather Myths.