So what does PM Thunderstorms REALLY mean??

[robynv]

I just looked at the wheather online...It has PM thunderstorms for like every day!!! Does this mean it will rain all afternoon? Or just a little(please please!!)


We leave tomorrow morning and I'm so worried!!

7/6--7/16

 

[devinfl]

I live in FL and for the last week or so it has been thunderstorms every afternoon about 2pm they usually last for an hour or so. Of course there are days that they stay around all evening but that is not the norm.

 

[loveDmouse]

Typical summer weather. Most of the time the storms, if you have them, pass fairly quickly. I wouldn't worry too much. Go and have fun!

 

[Robo]

I just looked at the wheather online...It has PM thunderstorms for like every day!!! Does this mean it will rain all afternoon? Or just a little(please please!!)

7/6--7/16

Its the weather.

Nobody knows.

Generally there is a chanc efor some rain in the Summer many days, somewhere at WDW (some parks may get rain, some may not.)

The weather (by report) was not very good July 4th (yesterday) but the parks were full of guests, nonetheless.

I don't pay any attention to the forecast, except when a hurricane is on-approach.

And I'm not kidding... I ignore the forecasts... they are notoriously wrong.

 

[Cyndo723]

That's just a typical summer forecast for Florida or anywhere else on the gulf coast for that matter. The thunderstorms develop on the hot afternoons, dump their rain, and then move on. Sometimes it cools things off a bit, sometimes it just makes it more steamy. Just keep a poncho handy and keep going. Really nothing to worry about.

 

[fourseasons]

Well, the the is not great... check sig

 

[Colleen27]

I just looked at the wheather online...It has PM thunderstorms for like every day!!! Does this mean it will rain all afternoon? Or just a little(please please!!)

When we were there in August '97, "PM thunderstorms" seemed to refer to the daily mid-afternoon rains. It rained every day we were there, for an hour or less right at the hottest, stickiest part of the day (around 3-ish). Some days we actually heard thunder, others we didn't. It didn't interrupt our trip in the least, except on the one day that it thunderstormed towards the end of our day at River Country. Most days, it was a welcome drenching that cooled things off.

 

[disnut8]

Well, the the is not great... check sig

Most of those days are 30-40% chance. That's really not that much. A few of the days are 60% chance and those would probably be the afternoon showers. Case in point. We finally have a Sunday afternoon off up here in Atlanta. Weather forecast says 30% chance of rain. We're planning a day hiking in the north Georgia mountains. No one would change their plans based on a 30% chance of rain. Id' only concern myself if the chances were over 60%. They have to put something there because it's always going to rain in Florida during the day in the summer. On the 30% chance days, I'd take my ball cap. On the 60% chance days, I'd take my two for a dollar ponchos. Higher than 60% (like 70% or 80%), I'd think about taking a heavier poncho.

I think the weather people should just change to saying it's going to be total sunshine for 70% of the day and people would stop worrying.

 

[MOmousefan]

What PM thunderstorms mean is:
1. You will get wet.
2. The high humidity will get higher.
3. Wear a poncho and enjoy the parks, that's what we do!

 

[scanne]

Rain, rain....it will (hopefully) cool things off for a little while and maybe some people will go running to the exits, making less crowds for the rest of us!

I'm leaving in 2 days!

 

[bennythepug]

cleared out the parks when we were there ! loved it. I had ponchos for everyone in my family, but i was the only one who would wear it. everyone said it was to hot and sticky to wear (we go in July)

 

[DaGOOFYoNe4727]

Hi Robyn! Yeah this is Florida and this is what happens on a daily basis! But i'll fill you in on a little secret no one else knows...that I do. I'm a Certified Severe Storm Spotter, for the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Melbourne,FL. Stationed on the East Coast of FL. Servicing all of East Central Florida, including the Disney World Area.

These storms we get here are not typical by no means! Florida's storms tend to become quite strong and possibly severe. Producing very heavy rainfall, damaging winds in excess of 58 MPH, large hail and deadly excessive cloud to ground lightning strikes. Excerssive lightning strikes means that the storm is producing 12 strikes per minute!

When skies darken, or see lightning or hear thunder, move indoors immeidtaely to a sturdy structure and away from windows! Golf Courses, open areas and parks offer no protection from lightning! Also, use the 30/30 rule...wait 30 mins after the last lightning strike and rumble of tunder, before moving outdoors again! Lightning can strike up 20 miles away from a storm! Don't become a statistic!

Your best bet would be to stay tuned to The Weather Channel while at your resort, for any possible watches, warnings or statements being issued for your area from the National Weather Service.

Trust me I've had over three years experience with Severe Storms and chasing them. Wish you a safe and Magical trip! Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you! Have a Magical Day! Also if you dont mind, please let me know how your trip was when you return =)!

Shane

"Share A Dream Come True"

 

[amery]

It means welcome to summer in Orlando!

Wait 15 minutes and you'll be fine. Having said that, I was last in WDW in late July of 05 and one fine day, god paid a visit and stayed around for an hour.

Fortunately, we were footsteps away froom cover which afforded us the front of the food line and great people watching from our seats as the torents of people were attempting to outrun the torents of water.

 

[Wish2BinWDW]

What I've seen in the past times we've been to WDW is thunderstorms happen about 2:00 every afternoon and then go away, but sometimes they last into the night as well. The last time we went to Disney World, we were at DTD one evening and it rained all evening, never did stop. We just put on our ponchos and went to DQ until we were ready to go back to the room.

It really helps with the heat and humidity when it rains and empties out the parks.

 

[cmwade77]

When we were there last Sept. your could almost set your watch by the rain, every day from about 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM, just time it so you are on one of the longer rides during this time and you will be fine.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

Any weather forecast more than 3 days in advance is likely to be wrong. 10 day forecasts are pretty much not worth the time you spend reading them.

 

[qtwns]

My experience has been that if you forget to bring your ponchos, it will rain; if you remember to bring your ponchos it will not rain. We had to spend a small fortune on WDW ponchos while our perfectly good dollar store ponchos sat in our resort.