A 60% chance of thunderstorms means......

[momtobrynncess]

I only go to Florida once a year. Will it rain all day? Intermittently? Scattered storms? Hardly at all? No idea?

I go through this every year, and never know what to expect. Like most, I just don't want rain to ruin my vaca....I don't stress over it, I know I can't control it, so why worry? Just wondering...

 

[Karlzmom]

Depending on how "long range" the forecast is, it may mean nothing at all! Everytime we plan a trip, the long range forcasts show rain predicted everyday, but we rarely saw any. If it did rain, it would be a relatively brief period, usually in the late afternoon or early evening. We never found it to be a problem. Don't worry, just have a couple of ponchos in your bag and have a great time.

 

[TillyMarigold]

A 60% chance of thunderstorms means that out of every 10 days with those exact weather conditions, there will be a thunderstorm on 6 of them (and no thunderstorm on 4 of them).

In general, thunderstorms in Orlando last between 20 minutes and 2 hours. Usually there is only 1 storm in a day, sometimes 2. (Under normal circumstances, that is--a hurricane would obviously be different.)

 

[Polydweller]

A 60% chance of thunderstorms means that out of every 10 days with those exact weather conditions, there will be a thunderstorm on 6 of them (and no thunderstorm on 4 of them).

Actually that's not what it means though it is based on the forecast area which could be city, county, etc. and the forecast period such as 12 hours, 1 day etc. It means that at any given point within the forecast area there is a 60% chance it will rain at some time in the forecast period. Notice that duration of the rain doesn't figure into this. A one minute shower would qualify for the forecast just as much as a 2 hour rain.

To answer the OP more directly, 60% chance if thunderstorms means the forecaster has 60% confidence if precipitation within the forecast area and is forecasting that it will be in the form of thunderstorms. In Florida, that usually mean a few scattered thunderstorms and often they are of fairly short duration.

 

[Kellykidsmom]

Does anyone know of a local Orlando tv station that I could log onto to check the weather rather than the Weather Channel?

 

[Kellykidsmom]

Does anyone know of a local Orlando tv station that I could log onto to check the weather rather than the Weather Channel?

Just found the tv station WESH in Orlando and the rain forecast looks a lot better than the Weather Channel website shows

 

[chocovrdmicears]

During our stay 8/18-8/26 I watched the weather channel nightly. A few days it said a 40% chance of rain, and on those days we maybe had a brief shower, more often it didn't even rain. On the days that said 60% chance of rain, we got the expected afternoon showers. Only 2 days did they last into the night.

 

[MattMatts-Momma]

I only go to Florida once a year. Will it rain all day? Intermittently? Scattered storms? Hardly at all? No idea?

I go through this every year, and never know what to expect. Like most, I just don't want rain to ruin my vaca....I don't stress over it, I know I can't control it, so why worry? Just wondering...

We check in next Wednesday, so I was looking at the same forecast as you. I am okay with having the afternoon thundershower, but I don't want it to rain the entire time.

WESH Orlando is predicting a less of a chance for rain, so I think I will go with what they are saying.

Have a great time!!

 

[crostorfer]

I only go to Florida once a year. Will it rain all day? Intermittently? Scattered storms? Hardly at all? No idea?

I go through this every year, and never know what to expect. Like most, I just don't want rain to ruin my vaca....I don't stress over it, I know I can't control it, so why worry? Just wondering...

We check into the Poly two days after you!

I was looking at the same forecast you were seeing. 60% chance of rain for the first few days of our stay. I'm expecting rain, I just hope its not a soaker the whole week we are there!

 

[Disneywedding2010]

Honestly, I would check a local news channel for the update in Orlando and not rely on weather.com. Its been my experience that they are never right . I planned a trip to go to San Antonio (5 hours from my home) and it forecasted it was going to rain the whole time I was there. I never saw a drop of rain the entire 5 day trip.

 

[fla4fun]

Does anyone know of a local Orlando tv station that I could log onto to check the weather rather than the Weather Channel?

WESH, WKMG, WFTV, and myfoxorlando

We generally watch WFTV as our primary weather forecaster, followed by WESH. On weekends, we usually can only get Fox 35 (myfoxorlando), so we watch them. All of them are pretty good, but I give a slight edge to WFTV.

However, any forecast more than a couple days out is subject to change around here.

 

[rodkenrich]

,

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We just returned yesterday from a 10 days/9 nights stay at WDW. It was very hot and humid, at least a 60% chance of rain everyday. In the end, we had one shower that lasted about 15 minutes, another that didn't even start until 9 PM and lasted an hour. According to the long range, as well as daily, even hourly forecast (as well as how hot & humid it was) we should have had thunderstorms daily. Didn't happen. So, don't stress...

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Relatives of mine who lived right outside of Orlando for years told me this. If the weather forcast call for a 20% chance of rain then that means it will rain 20% of the time. She also stated that unless you are in hurricane season the rain dries up pretty quickly because of the humidity. She told us to just pack a rain poncho. To bring very large ziploc baggies store the poncho after the rain so they don't get everything else wet. All this being said you will probably get as many different answers to this as you do responses. Just go and have fun. If it is just rain you won't melt your not made of sugar. If it is a thunderstorm, go inside a ride/store/resteraun/pavilion to get out from under the lightning. It won't do you anygood to worry. Worrying ahead of times will not change anything. This is what I try and drum into DH. But he will overpack anyway.

 

[B-Ride]

We just returned yesterday from a 10 days/9 nights stay at WDW. It was very hot and humid, at least a 60% chance of rain everyday. In the end, we had one shower that lasted about 15 minutes, another that didn't even start until 9 PM and lasted an hour. According to the long range, as well as daily, even hourly forecast (as well as how hot & humid it was) we should have had thunderstorms daily. Didn't happen. So, don't stress...

I agree. I used to check the weather before we left and worried because it seemed to rain everyday. The weather when we got there was never as bad as it looked it would be.

Our last trip was August 28th - September 6th and it rained only two times and both while we eating dinner.