No lie, I have been told Miami has the worst.......... (Fort Lauderdale: live in, yard)

[Tiger Beer]

I love afternoon thunderstorms

[harrycrat]

Originally Posted by doom1001

I've been in Florida all my life and I would trade Florida weather for California anytime.I've been out there several times and I could deal with those yellowish brown hills due to the lack of rain to get that low humid more moderate temperatures all year long .Florida does have amazing weather from November through April,May and October are the cut off months between the very nice and HORRIBLE weather,simply put if someone came up with a machine that would knock you unconscious from June through September I would be first in line.

Those exaggerations...are killing us...

[hurricaneMan1992]

Most thunderstorms and lightning=southwest Florida. Thunderstorms are not nearly as common along the east coast, even in summer. You'll often hear thunder, but the storms themselves tend to move west pretty quick.

Worse thunderstorms=tornado alley, roughly North Dakota down to Orlando in Florida, but the worse of this is the central plains.

Worst for hurricanes=upper Gulf Coast (IMO) as our construction is more strict down here and we don't have nearly as much storm surge risk. Of course, it only takes one storm (e.g., Andrew).

And no, it doesn't rain everyday in summer...although when it's not raining, you kind of wish it would rain some to get temoporary relief from the heat and humidity!

[SFLrunner]

You know it really just comes down to what you enjoy...........some people like cold weather, I like warm. Some people don't like or appreciate other cultures, i do. It's all give and take...............I would be miserable living in Seattle, but that does not make it a bad place to live...............just not a place that meets my needs. If you are not happy in Miami then explore other parts of the country that make you happy. Life is too short to be unhappy. I am from OH and now live in MIA. I could not be happier!

[MiamiRob]

It's funny because I happen to like our quick tropical downpours. There really is something refreshing about the air after it rains in south Florida. It also has taught me how to drive in torrential downpours. Have you seen how people in LA freak out when it rains there driving and the tons of accidents they have?
As for hurricanes they are more of an inconvience unless they are stronger than a Category 3. Hurricane Andrew was terrifying to live through and if a storm like that ever approaches again I'm leaving the state!

[rnc2mbfl]

On the days that it doesn't rain in the Summer, you will have wished it did! The rain cools off the air in the very late afternoon with a typical deluge that can last just a few minutes. It rarely rains for an entire day. South Florida is capable of getting huge amounts of rain in one storm. Because, when it rains hard, it REALLY rains hard.
Call me crazy but I love the rain.
As for thunder and lightening, I don't really perceive it to be worse than many other places I have been in the US.

[tbarreto]

I'll put it to you succintly: A typical S. FL summer day- plan to spend your day barbecuing and in the pool, enjoying the sunshine. REALITY: the skies will be darker than Hades by noon, with thunder and lightning and the downpours will last anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours, absolutely ruining any outdoor activities for the remainder of the day. If you're lucky, you'll be able to venture out after the torrential downpour only to be greeted by swarms of gnats and humidity so thick you could cut it with a machete! Oh and if you're really lucky, you'll be greeted by a repeat performance later that afternnon. Face it guys, the weather in S. FL (for all the good it's made out to be) is HORRIBLE! You live in a freaking swamp for God's sake!

[jefffla01]

Generally I agree with tbarreto-----the weather in South Florida is greatly overrated.

From the second week in May through the third week in October we do live in Hades. The summers are unbelievably hot, humid, and the first thing you do everyday is to check the National Hurricane Center website to see where all the storms are going----and pray.

To Harrymiafla who seems to think we are exaggerating the heat here------please----either you spend your summers indoors in ac, or you are a snowbird and are not here during the summers.

You sound like my father who insists the summers here are not bad------he does spend most of the time indoors and when he goes out he has little exposure to the fireball in the sky called the sun.

It is a blast furnace down here-----the humidity is a killer and drains the living will right out of you.

The afternoon rains do cool things down----for about three minutes and than when the sun comes back out it is hotter and more humid than ever.

To each his own-------yet it is no wonder that when summer hits there is a mass exodus out of here. To those of us who reside here all year summers advantages are greatly reduced traffic, getting into restaurants without an hour wait, and greatly reduced numbers of New York accents and attitudes.

[StarlaJane]

I agree ^^. The rains actually contribute to the stifling humidity that makes the region feel like a sauna from May-November.

I think that the best comparison I have read likens the summers in the regions to the winters in the north: during the summer, it's too hot to go outside much in the same way that it is too cold to go outside up north during the winter.

The ideal is to live here from min-Nov to mid-April, then head back up north for late spring, summer and fall.

[mosleymitchell88]

I was in Miami Beach recently for a little while, so I'll contribute my personal observations. I'll admit, I'm a little biased, 'cause I'm used to extremely humid, warm/hot weather 8 months of the year, which I happen to tolerate pretty well--the kind a lot of people would complain about (;

Compared to South Arkansas, Miami's summers are actually nicer, in my opinion. Here, it's not uncommon to reach the high 90s/ low 100s with high humidity anywhere from June-September. Rain here is a little more sporadic and less predictable during the summer months. We could go up to a week or even two weeks with no rain in all that heat, which feels like hell until nighttime. I can't tell you how many times I've had to water the garden here. In Miami, it's rarely above the high 80s/low 90s with similar humidity, though to some people, it may feel like 120 degrees. Not to mention, it rains pretty regularly there during its wet season from May-November. Not once did it rain all day long when I was there. As others have mentioned, it typically rains for about an hour anywhere from early to late afternoon, with a possible night or morning rain. The thunderstorms there aren't any worse than here. They're loud, windy, and wet, with some lightning. They are frequent, though. The chance of a tornado there is tiny compared to other areas, though the chance of a hurricane there is substantially higher. However, ever since hurricane Andrew, homes in Florida have been designed to withstand strong hurricanes. Lots of people complain about the rain while sunbathing in South Beach, but I'm not crazy about the idea of getting skin cancer, so I don't lay out in the sun much anyway. I haven't been there during winter or spring, but I do know it's quite a bit drier with less humidity--perhaps a better time of year to soak up the sun.

Bugs are bugs. It's whatever to me. I can deal with an occasional annoying fly, moth, and mosquitoes. As many times as I've been bitten by mosquitoes, I'm probably already immune to West Nile.

I was outside most of the time while I was there this summer--only took a bus once. I carried water with me, even though it got warm within 30 minutes There are plenty of little restaurants and smoothie places to cool off and enjoy beautiful Miami Beach (: I don't know about Miami.

Basically, there is no such thing as "bad weather." It's a matter of opinion. I like warm weather--year round. I think the idea of a "white" Christmas is overrated. I complain when the temperature is anywhere near freezing. My skin gets dry easily with the occasional cold fronts we get. I like to have breakfast outside year round on my beautiful patio to watch the sun rise. One of my friends, however, can't imagine living in the hot, humid "swamp" I live in. She loves snow, dry summers, hot chocolate during the winter, gluhwein, etc.

That being said, fly to Miami and find out for yourself! (: