How much rain in August?

[MinniMama]

I just looked at 15 day forcast for Orlando and the first three day of our trip say cloudy and thunderstorms- will it rain the whole time we are there? Is ist typical to have three rainy no sun days in a row in August yikes! Is it rainy now?? Send pixie dust quick!

 

[WDSearcher]

Double post ... sorry!

 

[WDSearcher]

Yes, it will probably rain the whole time you're there, but you have to realize that a "rainy day" in Florida is not the same as a "rainy day" in someplace like Seattle. "Cloudy with thunderstorms" doesn't always mean it will be that way all day.

It is typical for there to be that much rain in August. August is right in the middle of hurricane season, and so Florida gets it from both sides -- the Atlantic and the Gulf. However, most days start out sunny and humid, with the rain coming around 3:30-4pm or so. It seldom lasts more than an hour, and generally helps cool the place down a bit. Occasionally, you'll get full afternoons of rain, but it seldom rains all day long, and it seldom rains into the evening.

Yesterday was sunny and hot all morning and into the afternoon. It started raining at Disney at about 3:30pm, and it rained off and on for about 45 min. It was raining in Orlando around 5pm, and that lasted less than an hour as well. Right now (8:50am on Thursday), it's sunny, hot and humid, with expected thunderstorms this afternoon.

 

[MinniMama]

Oh I expected the afternoon rain and we toured last year in August but this sounds like all day rain which was my concern for three days straight! So hopefully you are right and its the afternoon kind!

 

[WDW_DV]

Late afternoon downpours are the order of the day in Central Florida during August. We were there in August last year and it rained nearly every day like clockwork between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. The only days it rained a LOT were when the remains of tropical storm something-or-other went through.

Pack ponchos, and keep on touring. Rides that are predominantly outdoors (BTMRR, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids) should be done in the morning when it hardly ever rains. Kilamanjaro Safaris will continue to run, but you may not see many animals. Try to plan indoor rides and shows for afternoon if you're going to be in the parks that time of day. Don't forget to use FastPass though since most of those rides will be busier in the afternoon. Also, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Peter Pan, and others have mostly indoor waiting areas. And of course, you can always plan to eat a late lunch during the rain - but the restaurants will fill quickly when the drops start falling.

All in all the rain didn't really impact our enjoyment of the parks. The only thing we never got to do was Primeval Whirl (a favorite of ours) due to lightning from the tropical storm leftovers.

Have a great trip!