Summer Weather question

[devjam]

I know that everyone says that thunderstorms are common in the summer and that they pass real quick. However, the upcoming forecast looks like storms all afternoon nearly every day. Should we expect it to thunderstorm all afternoon on those days or will it really just rain for an hour or so and then pass?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Last summer end of August it rained a lot and longer than normal as I recall. One night it raining buckets for a while. We have learned that a cheap poncho and umbrella are now permanently in our backpack.

 

[sjrec]

It’s so hard to predict! We were there late July early August last year and had very little rain, even in the late afternoon/evening. I don’t see anything about tropical depressions or storms, so I hopefully it’s just typical Florida weather.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

There may be more than one round of it but generally yeah pretty much every day in the afternoon you'll find a passing heavy thunderstorm.
People really should stop getting all concerned over the forecast they see. If it is that worrying then summer isn't the best time to go.

 

[North of Mouse]

I know that everyone says that thunderstorms are common in the summer and that they pass real quick. However, the upcoming forecast looks like storms all afternoon nearly every day. Should we expect it to thunderstorm all afternoon on those days or will it really just rain for an hour or so and then pass?

No way to positively know! TS's are very common in afternoon/evening hours in the summer, but can/has turned into longer events. Just be prepared.

 

[Barbydoll8]

Living here for over 22 years about 75 miles due west of WDW I can tell you that daily T-storms are normal. You can estimate them happening between 4-6 pm. It's because the west coast gulf air and the east coast sea breeze collide with the heating of the day. And that causes a boom and rain. They can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour but typically (emphasis on the word typically) are not all afternoon affairs. It does happen but it's not "normal". I've been stuck in a 4 hour storm in late August once at WDW so it can happen. It's just subtropical weather.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I would always carry either a poncho or umbrella (I have a preference for an umbrella); and assume some storms every afternoon, but otherwise ignore forecasts.

 

[RJD2]

yeah our weather people are just lazy - its such a mixed bag, and they come out of nowhere, so best said above - the predictions arent like the rest of the (normal) country - they just put it up there and it might, it might not, and it might get crazy

 

[EscalatorKid]

I've been most of my trips in July, August, and September.

Whenever you have high temps and high humidity, there's always a chance for that kind of weather. It happens usually between 3-7pm, and as soon as it comes in, it's gone. Or it seems like it moves quickly. I have never been in those months where it rains non-stop all day. It lasts maybe an hour most times, but I've seen them last longer occasionally.

I poncho up and keep going. I'm not letting rain stop my day; if it is absolutely torrential, I will pause and spend an extra five or twenty minutes in a gift shop.

My mom said she and my Dad got on Small World and just rode around and around to ride out a September storm. (It was the mid-80s and evidently not as busy as today.)

Get a poncho or a raincoat. Umbrellas are not great with lightning; then again, neither is being outside. You'll be fine.