Ft Myers weather in September (Miami, Sarasota: rentals, condo, hotel)

[dmvs]

I am planning a vacation to Ft Myers for September 22nd for 5 days. I have now heard that this may not be the best time due to bad weather. Would it make much difference waiting a week or two to avoid the rainy season? (I am trying to keep the trip near my boyfriends birthdate)

[kroeran]

August 15-sept 15 is the peak of the hurricane season. When we travel down there July-October, we have flexible tickets so that we can adjust the trip for an incoming hurricane, which you can track and check the likely path through the hurricane centre website.

Tropical Depression ANA

technically, there CAN be hurricanes up to the end of November, but the chances go down the further you get from the first week of September.

[justNancy]

The rainy season (also known as the hurricane season) starts in May and runs through November. It's almost impossible to predict if you will get better weather one week or another. However, historically more tropical storms have hit this area in Aug & Sept than in Oct. When I lived in NH, I vacationed in Sarasota in Oct and it was a good choice for me, although there are never any guarantees. The temperature is still around 80, the water in the Gulf is still warm, and the room prices are still off-season. By Dec it can get very cold and the temperature can drop into the 50s or 60s.

I just want to add that I've lived in FL for 15 years. I only mentioned the time I was on vacation as a reference point. I rarely pay attention to the weather any more. To me it's either raining or it isn't.

[rainroosty]

Yesterday's weather!
Tornado damages nearly 2 dozen homes in Florida

[dmvs]

Thank you kroeran and justNancy. I will probably push the trip back to October, but I will check the weather often before we leave.

[ChrisA70]

It rains about every day, and will until Nov. Don't know about the hurricanes, they are unpredictable. I have seen many since 1994 when I landed here. Best time to visit FL, Dec-March.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

It rains about every day, and will until Nov. Don't know about the hurricanes, they are unpredictable. I have seen many since 1994 when I landed here. Best time to visit FL, Dec-March.

I disagree, although March is very nice. First of all, it depends on your budget. As a former tourist, I can say without hesitation that the hotel prices soar in the winter. The private condo rentals often triple, since investors make most of their money during that time.

Regarding weather, I've lived in FL for over 15 years and vacationed here a lot too. If you live here, then the cold weather seems to last a short time and most of us welcome the relief of a cool breeze. I can't tell you how excited I get when I can go outside wearing a sweater! In fact, since it's been in the 90s since May, I'd be happy putting on a long sleeve shirt! However, when you're on vacation from work, it's an entirely different story. If you've saved up all year and only have a week or 2 to enjoy the beach, go boating/fishing, etc., then 3 or 4 days of cool weather will put a big damper on your fun.

My first memory goes back to Freshman year of college when I visited Miami (my first plane ride too) and almost froze to death in a dumpy rental that didn't have central heat. I think it was Feb or Mar, but I'm not really sure. After all, that was about 40 years ago! When I lived in MA I took a 5 night trip to Freeport in Dec and it was in the 50s. Between 1987-91 I took a couple of trips to FL & AL. Without telling my life story here, I want to mention that I worked for a company for over 20 years, so I had a lot of vacation weeks. Anyway, another trip was to Daytona the week between Christmas & New Year. OMG was it cold. The humidity here makes it seem even colder too. (keep in mind that I lived in NH at that time) So I rented a car and drove to Disney World, since the Atlantic was freezing and nobody was in the water. Another year I was told I needed to use or lose my vacation, so I booked 3 weeks at Aloha Kai on Siesta Key in December. Although there were many sunny & warm days, I remember sitting on the beach covered in blankets so I could look at the Gulf. I took a couple of 2 week vacations in Oct, one on the panhandle and the other on Longboat Key, and the weather was nearly perfect both times. As I said before, there is never a guarantee you won't have bad weather in Oct, but last year we had record cold temperatures in Dec/Jan. I was so worried about the feral cats that I let them sleep on my lanai. They were piled on top of each other to stay warm.

So, yes, it's really nice to come to Florida to escape the cold, harsh winter up north, especially if you're a snowbird and can spend a month or more. However, for a week's vacation on the beach, the winter months can be very risky. Regarding tropical storms, the bad weather lasts a day or 2 and then it's very sunny.

Just wanted to add that there hasn't been a lot of storm activity so far this summer, so it's possible the hurricanes will strike very late in the season. Only a Higher Power really knows!

Good luck!

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

It rains about every day, and will until Nov. Don't know about the hurricanes, they are unpredictable. I have seen many since 1994 when I landed here. Best time to visit FL, Dec-March.

It doesn't really rain EVERYDAY, mostly the days it does rain, it only rains for a short time, sure you can get an all day rain, but most of the time it's a small cloud burst then the sun comes out

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by dmvs

Thank you kroeran and justNancy. I will probably push the trip back to October, but I will check the weather often before we leave.

also keep an eye on the 15 day trend

AccuWeather.com - Fort Myers, FL - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by mrcoolmrcool28

It doesn't really rain EVERYDAY, mostly the days it does rain, it only rains for a short time, sure you can get an all day rain, but most of the time it's a small cloud burst then the sun comes out

Hence why I said "ABOUT every day". Heck we can go for a week or 2 without any. All day rain is rare I think.