? about weather forecasts

[shari2shop]

Okay... We leave for WDW on Thursday morning... that's like 18 hours!!!!

I have been watching the forecast and I want to make sure I'm prepared.

On weather.com it says: "Scattered thunderstorms in the morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%."

So, am I correct to assume that means it is going to rain pretty much all day?!?!?!?!

The 80% is the odds of it raining not that it will rain for 80% of the entire day?

Now in the summer I always thought that afternoon thouderstorms were typical. However, when I look at the 10 day forecast it appears that they expect it to be a major thounderstrom cell all day, everyday.

I'm getting worried!!!!

 

[MommytoMJM]

I don't know how much it will rain each day, but I do know from watching the news today that we have around 450 miles of storms coming in from the Gulf of Mexico which they say should subside by Friday....

 

[shari2shop]

...... snip..... we have around 450 miles of storms coming in from the Gulf of Mexico ...snip.....

Oh *@!#^* #^*@#!!!!!!

 

[beccasmom]

The 10-day forecast for Orlando often says thunderstorms every afternoon, but that does not always hold true. Many times we've watched the Weather Channel in our room and made plans around the weather, only to have the weather be fine.

When humidity builds up in the atmosphere, thunderstorms are a given. I wouldn't worry too much - if the weather does turn bad, the storms pass quickly. Prepare for them, but don't let them hold you back.

 

[jaysmom4285]

Beccasmom has it right, I think. Thunderstorms are a very common occurrence in Florida once the weather heats up, but they are by their nature isolated and scattered, and who knows if one will pass directly over where you are at the moment. Just have a poncho or umbrella with you, or duck into a building for a little while - they don't last long.

 

[shari2shop]

I was hoping that the forecated thunderstorms were the type that I was expecting. Just looking at the forecast made me think that it might rain all day.

Oh, we will be leaving in LESS than 24 hours!!!!!!
:thewave: :thewave:
Shari

 

[DisneyJen0504]

One trip to WDW, the weather before we left for Orlando said thunderstorms everyday of our trip. We got there-sun, no rain. Every morning in WDW we would check the TV for the weather and everyday the thunderstorms were pushed back a day. After 6 days of no rain and all sun, it finally rained 1 day out of our trip. You just never can tell with the weather. Have fun!

 

[momto2inKC]

One trip to WDW, the weather before we left for Orlando said thunderstorms everyday of our trip. We got there-sun, no rain. Every morning in WDW we would check the TV for the weather and everyday the thunderstorms were pushed back a day. After 6 days of no rain and all sun, it finally rained 1 day out of our trip. You just never can tell with the weather. Have fun!

This is the same thing that happend when we went! Rain forcast for everyday and we didn't see any! Then, on our last day we were at Universal and the news that morning said a cold front was going to come through that afternoon....well, it ended up being the hottest day, topping out at around 90*

 

[ReggieB]

Weather being as it is this might not happen to you but, I checked the weather forecast for our trip every day for about two weeks. Every time it was sunny/partly cloudy..until the day before we left (May 17) when every day had horrible big thunderstorms forecast. I was pretty upset, ranted a bit and then packed our lovely Mickey ponchos. I felt maybe three drops of rain the entire week we were there. Scattered or ocassional thunderstorms were still being forecast while we were there, but nothing materialized...someone somewhere I am sure got the rain, just not us. Thunderstorms in our area are generally an afternoon/evening thing, and understand that's quite similiar in Flordia. If you can, plan to get all the outdoor things done in the morning, plan for shows and indoor rides in the afternoon, it's a kind of play it by ear thing. They can blow over pretty quick. Most hotels have cable, The Weather Channel runs the Orlando forecast along the bottom continously, Disney's own park channel has the weather too (though for some reason it wasn't working when we were there) Hope you are as lucky as we were, and they pass you by, if not be safe!

 

[Tigger1]

80% chance of rain means that 80 out of 100 days with the same conditions it has rained. I think it is common in Florida to be sunny until the late afternoon, then a thunderstorm and back to sunny day.

A friend of mine was waiting for the rain predictions to end before going on vacation last year, I told her it was normal to have %'s rain daily in the S east and that the rains never lasted long when we were there. She decided to go ahead and chance it and had very little rain all week.

 

[dreamscometrue47]

My husband is in Orlando right now on business and yesterday said "it's like driving through a car wash". The rain was very heavy occasionally over the past couple of days. But remember, the weather can change on a whim (or a cold front!). We try not to worry and do the best we can with whatever we get.

 

[Ziggie]

My husband is in Orlando right now on business and yesterday said "it's like driving through a car wash". The rain was very heavy occasionally over the past couple of days. But remember, the weather can change on a whim (or a cold front!). We try not to worry and do the best we can with whatever we get.

Great description! It's covering most of the state from central FL down through the south ~

 

[flamom]

it has rained here every day this week so far.my husband mentioned that starting tomorrow it's supposed to go to the usual summer weather when it rains in the afternoon.we're going to disney saturday so i guess all you can do is hope for the best pack your raincoats/poncho's and just have fun no matter what. we went last year it rained all afternoon in epcot not downpours just drizzles i looked like a wet rat but i still had fun.i just don't want it to rain all day.