ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s been awhile since we measured any rain in Orlando; in fact, some may not remember the last time we had any appreciable rainfall.

You would have to go back to the last week of February when we received a few rounds of rain. The last appreciable rain took place on Feb. 26 when Orlando received 0.63 inches.

Central Florida has barely picked up any rain ever since. In fact, Orlando only measured 0.02 inches since the start of the month—well below average.

If March were to end right now, Orlando would tie the record for the driest March on record, set back in 2006 with just 0.02 inches.

Many other cities around the state barely had measurable rain. Tampa for example has not received any measurable rain so far this month. Tampa is also on track to tie the record for driest March on record. The current record stands at a trace, set in 1907 and 2006.

When you look back at the last 30 days, the I-4 corridor has only received about 10 percent of the rain we typically see. Orlando picked up 8 percent of its average rain and Tampa received 16 percent.

So what does this mean? It means parts of the state is experiencing short term drought conditions, especially the Florida Panhandle where it has been exceptionally dry since January 1. Parts of the Panhandle are reporting rain deficits of nearly 10 inches. Apalachicola is in a deficit of 9.27 inches since the start of 2020.

As a result, parts of the Florida Panhandle is in a “Severe Drought” but the effects are expected to be short term.

While Orlando isn’t in a drought yet, we are experiencing abnormally dry conditions. This means the fire danger has been elevated and that is common as we enter the spring months.

So the big question is, where’s the relief?

The good news is our pattern will change and it should be sooner than later. We will see the storm track dip further south next week and this will set us up for additional rain chances. We don’t expect a soaking rain to move through but a greater frequency of showers is welcomed at this point.