Rainfall Trend Could Continue in 2016

Many residents in the District experienced a wetter-than-average 2015 and more could be on the way for 2016.

Most counties saw annual rainfall totals above historical averages, although only Pinellas and Hillsborough received above normal amounts. Pinellas, with nearly 60 inches last year, received the most rain among the District’s county averages. 

2015 Rainy Season Rainfall Averages Graphic

That’s partly because of record rain that occurred from July, 26 2015 to Aug. 7, 2015, which brought historic flooding in some parts. It caused the District to activate the Tampa Bypass Canal after the Hillsborough River reached an elevation of 25 feet above sea level near Fowler Avenue. Staff worked around the clock assisting other agencies and fielding hundreds of calls from residents.

And the wet trend could continue into 2016, according to Granville Kinsman, the District’s hydrologic data manager. 

“Following a wetter-than-average year across most of the District, and despite a dry start to our eighth month dry season, the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting that January through May will be much wetter than normal due to an extremely strong El Niño weather pattern,” he said.

The term El Niño refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific. During an El Niño year, wetter-than-average conditions are likely over portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida.

Despite the above-normal predictions, the District urges year-round water conservation. Water levels may rise and fall, but our water resources remain limited. The District encourages efficient, non-wasteful uses of water to sustain our high quality of life. Visit WaterMatters.org/Conservation for water conservation tips. And for more rainfall data, visit WaterMatters.org/DailyRainfall.