No worries yet for hurricane season and the beach weather is in full swing

The latest National Hurricane Center advisory on Tropical Depression Two shows its track moving westward from the current position to the southern region of Mexico over the next couple of days.

No other tropical systems are on the horizon as of now so Santa Rosa Beach is in the clear for hurricane concerns.

Meanwhile the weather here is being its typical summertime self:  partly to mostly sunny with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms between now and early next week.  The forecast high temperatures range all the way from 85 to 87 degrees (yes, you read that right) with morning lows swinging "wildly" between 75 and 76 degrees.  In other words if you want predictable summer beach weather it's here with nothing in the foreseeable future to change it. 

Sounds like Casablanca on 30A would be a great place to be about now!

It's summertime and the sea breeze is in full swing!

Let's see: 

          Daily highs in the mid-80's.  Check.
          Slight chance of afternoon showers/thunderstorms:  Check.
          Light southerly winds during the day.  Check.

Yep, it's summer at Santa Rosa Beach!  The large scale weather systems - cold fronts, surface low pressure systems, upper level troughs - have moved northward so for the immediate future our weather here will remain pretty much the same, i.e. perfect beach weather.  With partly cloudy skies every day make sure you use plenty of sunscreen as the strong Florida sunshine can quickly redden just about anyone's skin.

So why during the summer is there a chance almost every day for afternoon thunderstorms?  The answer lies in the sea breeze, which forms along the land/water boundary in the absence of other large scale weather features.  This article provides a very good explanation of why the sea breeze forms.

 Once this very localized circulation sets up during the afternoon it provides a lifting mechanism a bit inland from the shoreline which can often push up clouds with enough energy to create thunderstorms.  These popup storms don't usually last long before they rain themselves out and providing perhaps a few lightning bolts as Nature's fireworks.

Just another summertime beach attraction!

A post-Andrea view

Tropical Storm Andrea is a distant memory for Santa Rosa Beach and the summertime is back this Saturday afternoon with a current temperature in the mid-80's.  There will be a brief hitch in the weather with another disturbance due to drift into the region from the Gulf of Mexico.  This system doesn't appear to have any tropical storm potential but it will usher in clouds and rain Sunday into Monday.

After this weathermaker shuffles on out of the area typical summer conditions return to Santa Rosa Beach for the rest of next week.  With sunshine and temperatures in the mid to upper 80's there will be a chance for afternoon thunderstorms due to the persistent sea breeze that predominates this time of year.  That's the kind of weather that the beach is supposed to have for a good vacation.  C'mon down!

Mothers Day ahead

With Mother's Day weekend upon us a lot of folks are seriously contemplating beach visits as summer approaches.  The weather here at Santa Rosa Beach FL is a great attraction even when a cold front is due through the area as it is this weekend.  After a quick bout with some showers and thunderstorms Saturday as the cold front pushes through the sun will reassert itself for Sunday - Mother's Day - and will stick around for all this coming week.

Temperatures will remain consistent here this next week as they almost always do, with high temperatures reaching the upper 70's and lows near 60 degrees.  Much of the eastern U.S. will shiver a bit under the influence of chilly Canadian air behind the cold front as shown here in this forecast graphic for the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning:

This cold air mass could result in a late season frost as far south as Tennessee and the North Carolina mountains, but note the warmer colors indicated for Santa Rosa Beach at the white star.  No frost here!!   C'mon down!

Springtime in all its glory

The title pretty much sums up the weather this week in Santa Rosa Beach FL.  After a few scattered showers later this afternoon - Monday - with a high of 70 degrees (F) the remainder of the week will feature sunshine and highs in the upper 70's.  The pesky upper level low that has plagued the Midwest with snow and cold air and is now dumping copious amounts of rain on the Mid-Atlantic states is far enough north that it is having very little effect on the weather here in northwest Florida.  In fact here's a current visible satellite view that shows our beautiful clear skies, with the yellow star marking Santa Rosa Beach:

 

A "cold" front is due through here next weekend but even that will only bring scattered showers and thunderstorms along with continued temperatures in the upper 70's.  Want more spring?  Consider Santa Rosa Beach as a spot for your next getaway, especially the updated rental property at Casablanca on 30A.  You'll be glad you did!

Springtime in Northwest Florida

Those folks shivering in the record-setting May snowfall across the Plains and upper Midwest states should take note that spring has arrived here in Santa Rosa Beach!  Daily high temperatures are climbing into the low 70's and morning lows have been bottoming out in the mid-50's.  Even the heavy rainfall forecast across the southern U.S. courtesy of a cutoff low pressure system will remain mostly to the north of our area this week. 
In fact, after a bout with some showers today (Friday) that could drop a quarter- to a half-inch of moisture to fuel our flower growth the only potential rainfall over the next several days will stem from a "cold" front that will sweep the clouds and dampness out of the area as shown in this forecast graphic for Saturday evening:

The orange star marks our location.

 By next Friday (5/10) the temperatures here will be flirting with the 80 degree mark.  Sound better than snow and overcast skies?  Plan on coming down here soon!!!

A wet but warm pattern

This crazy weather of 2013 has folks over much of the nation scratching their heads and wondering where spring disappeared to.  Continued snowfall in Minneapolis (chance of snow Wednesday night through Friday), seesaw weather in Chicago (80+ degree high temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday followed by 50's Thursday and Friday), and unseasonably cool temperatures along the Atlantic seaboard have all combined to push spring fever to abnormally high levels.

It may be a bit moist here at Santa Rosa Beach this week but it's warm!!  Right now the temperature is 70 degrees and the warmth will continue with high temperatures forecast in the 70's all this week.  In fact check out this temperature forecast graphic for Friday evening:

Note the cool blue and green shades draped across the center of the nation and along the East Coast?  Now check out the warmer yellow shading at the white star location of Santa Rosa Beach.  Even with a daily chance of showers and thunderstorms here it beats shivering up north!!