Spring Climate Outlook for the Southeast 

While La Niña is expected to last through the spring, its influence on climate patterns of the Southeast weakens considerably as we progress into April, May, and June. With La Niña less of an influence on the weather patterns of the Southeast, we can anticipate normal spring and early summer climate patterns. Normal does not necessarily imply that seasonal temperature and/or precipitation will be near the long-term average, rather that there is little inclination towards wetter, drier, warmer, or colder due to events in the Pacific Ocean. Near normal rainfall and temperature is the most likely, but we can also anticipate the normal variability of weather and climate to be a factor in the next several months.  

To view the entire outlook, prepared by the Southeast Climate Consortium,  

Climate Phase Forecast for the Southeast 

In the last month, sea surface temperatures have warmed considerably and La Niña is weakening quickly, as these events typically do in the spring of the year. Even though the ocean temperatures are returning to normal or "neutral" conditions, lagging impacts on the atmosphere and general circulation can persist into the early summer. We are anticipating that La Niña will continue to have some bearing on the climate patterns of the Southeast through spring and into the month of June.

In the Press

State Climatologist Talks at Fellows Forum

State Climatologist David Zierden participated in a panel discussion on climate change and presented information on climate variations and trends in Florida at Florida State University on March 18. The forum was sponsored by the FSU Graduate School and addressed a group of the Graduate School Fellows, students receiving graduate fellowships from Florida State University. The distinguished panel also included Dr. Mark Bourassa, professor of meteorology at the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric prediction studies, and Dr. Eric Barron, FSU president and noted climatologist. After a brief presentation from all of the panelists, a lively discussion followed with students asking questions ranging from public perceptions of climate change to broader energy and societal issues.

Assistant State Climatologist Gives Talk to Local AMS Chapter

Assistant State Climatologist Melissa Griffin appeared at the monthly meeting of the North Florida Chapter of the American Meteorological Society on March 29 and gave a talk about some of the historic severe weather events that had taken place in Florida from 1899 to 2011. Events prior to 1970 included the Tampa Tornado Family of 1966, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 and The Great Blizzard of 1899. Other interesting events over the last 100 years were briefly discussed. 

Upcoming Events

April 6, 2011:

FSU Earth Day Celebration - Eco-Arts on the Green in Tallahassee, FL  

April 12, 2011:

FSU Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee, FL  

April 13-14, 2011:

National Drought Monitor Forum in Fairfax, VA  

April 16, 2011:

FSU Coastal & Marine Laboratory Open House in St. Teresa, FL 

May 24-27, 2011:

Climate Information for Managing Risks Symposium in Orlando, FL

Example Data Request 

The office was contacted by an administrator from the Hobe Sound Nature Center in Hobe Sound, FL last month, whom was looking for weather observations from the Clewiston area. A volunteer biologist for the center had received reports of a bird die-off in that particular area and one of their researchers wanted to have information about the abnormally cold weather and if it could have been a factor into why the birds had died.

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