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Stuart, Florida is the east coast border for tropical Florida going by airport stations afaik. Witham Field is koppen tropical with a Jan mean of 18 . Places north I am only seeing PWS readings and averages... Jensen beach is probably tropical and the personal stations suggest that it is
I would consider South Florida to be a very warm subtropical climate with often quasi-tropical conditions simply because there still is significant seasonal variation as the typical North American winter cold air intrusions can and do frequently reach even the Miami area where those may only lead to a few cooler days with highs in the 60s, but still a significant enough departure from what one would expect in the warmer seasons. This occurs frequently enough that Miami's January average mean temperature is over 15 degrees below its August one.
In true tropical climates you will find within 10 degrees N/S of the equator you will see only very small or even practically no seasonal variation.
One standard that I remember being brought up in college was that in a true tropical climate there's more diurnal than seasonal difference. In other words the gap between the average high and average low is bigger than the gap between the warmest monthly average and the coldest monthly average. I'll give you Manaus, Brazil as an example: the gap between average high and average low is 15.3 degrees F. The gap between the warmest month September and the coldest month January is just 3.1 degrees F. In contrast, take Miami where the gap between average high and low is 13.5F and the gap between the warmest month August and the coldest month January is in fact 15.6F. Not far off, but still slightly more seasonal variation than diurnal variation.
I would consider South Florida to be a very warm subtropical climate with often quasi-tropical conditions simply because there still is significant seasonal variation as the typical North American winter cold air intrusions can and do frequently reach even the Miami area where those may only lead to a few cooler days with highs in the 60s, but still a significant enough departure from what one would expect in the warmer seasons. This occurs frequently enough that Miami's January average mean temperature is over 15 degrees below its August one.
In true tropical climates you will find within 10 degrees N/S of the equator you will see only very small or even practically no seasonal variation.
One standard that I remember being brought up in college was that in a true tropical climate there's more diurnal than seasonal difference. In other words the gap between the average high and average low is bigger than the gap between the warmest monthly average and the coldest monthly average. I'll give you Manaus, Brazil as an example: the gap between average high and average low is 15.3 degrees F. The gap between the warmest month September and the coldest month January is just 3.1 degrees F. In contrast, take Miami where the gap between average high and low is 13.5F and the gap between the warmest month August and the coldest month January is in fact 15.6F. Not far off, but still slightly more seasonal variation than diurnal variation.
I think you're confusing equatorial and tropical climates. Be aware of the following:
-Tropical and subtropical don't just make the jump from a seasonal mix of tropical and not tropical weather to a completely not seasonal pattern of constant warmth. What you see in South Florida is exactly what you would expect from tropical climates that are as close to being subtropical as subtropical climates like Wichita and Washington D.C are to being continental.
-All tropical places in South Florida get their weather for the same reasons Manaus does. That's why the Koppen climate classification considers all of them tropical, it's based on the reasons they get the weather they do and that inarguably stands to reason.
-Subtropical climates don't get the very warm winter weather South Florida does. Why is a climate subtropical if it has warm winters, that should be mild or cool to fulfill the SUB part.
-South Florida is even warm enough for peacock bass, and I can tell you as someone who has fish that these are tropical fish from the Amazon with a higher end warmth requirement as aquarium fish go.
So this is another reason why temperature is a bad argument in favor of subtropical South Florida. Subtropical fish are specifically requiring of a cooler temperature than year round warm to hot weather or else they can get sick, they have required water temperatures more like 18-20C inarguably subtropical Wilmington and Dallas.
-Given that the southeastern US is an east coast climate, you would expect its warmest SUBtropical climates to be getting the occasional frost, not its tropical climates. And that's just what we see, Orlando and Brownsville only get occasional frosts because they are not quite there.
Freak frosts being subtropical is not really logical.
I think you're confusing equatorial and tropical climates. Be aware of the following:
-Tropical and subtropical don't just make the jump from a seasonal mix of tropical and not tropical weather to a completely not seasonal pattern of constant warmth. What you see in South Florida is exactly what you would expect from tropical climates that are as close to being subtropical as subtropical climates like Wichita and Washington D.C are to being continental.
-All tropical places in South Florida get their weather for the same reasons Manaus does. That's why the Koppen climate classification considers all of them tropical, it's based on the reasons they get the weather they do and that inarguably stands to reason.
-Subtropical climates don't get the very warm winter weather South Florida does. Why is a climate subtropical if it has warm winters, that should be mild or cool to fulfill the SUB part.
-South Florida is even warm enough for peacock bass, and I can tell you as someone who has fish that these are tropical fish from the Amazon with a higher end warmth requirement as aquarium fish go.
So this is another reason why temperature is a bad argument in favor of subtropical South Florida. Subtropical fish are specifically requiring of a cooler temperature than year round warm to hot weather or else they can get sick, they have required water temperatures more like 18-20C inarguably subtropical Wilmington and Dallas.
-Given that the southeastern US is an east coast climate, you would expect its warmest SUBtropical climates to be getting the occasional frost, not its tropical climates. And that's just what we see, Orlando and Brownsville only get occasional frosts because they are not quite there.
Freak frosts being subtropical is not really logical.
Tropical climates are found in proximity of the equator. That's literally the most significant reason they have this climate. Miami at 25 N is about as far from the equator as places like Curitiba, Brazil, Monterrey, Mexico, Quanzhou, China or Allahabad, India. None of which have tropical climates.
Miami might have jumped to meet the Koppen temperature equirements for tropical climates in recent decades but that doesn't fundamentally alter the fact that it's Northern location makes it subject to temperature variations that would be decicedly untropical. In fact I think the only reason Miami even gets to that subtropical/tropical edge given its Northern latitude is the fact it's surrounded by warm water.
Tropical climates are found in proximity of the equator. That's literally the most significant reason they have this climate. Miami at 25 N is about as far from the equator as places like Curitiba, Brazil, Monterrey, Mexico, Quanzhou, China or Allahabad, India. None of which have tropical climates.
Lol, looks like what I said got lost in translation. I (and Koppen) meant dominant air flow patterns, not latitude.
The same dominant air flow patterns give Miami and Manaus their weather.
Quote:
Miami might have jumped to meet the Koppen temperature equirements for tropical climates in recent decades but that doesn't fundamentally alter the fact that it's Northern location makes it subject to temperature variations that would be decicedly untropical.
Which, again, is reasonable for a tropical climate closer to subtropical than borderline subtropical Washington D.C is to continental, since there is no abrupt jump between different air flow patterns.
It's not like the peacock bass care anyway, they're doing great even though that happens.
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In fact I think the only reason Miami even gets to that subtropical/tropical edge given its Northern latitude is the fact it's surrounded by warm water.
Nevertheless it still does get to tropical by a few degrees.
The East coast boarder is going to be further north than the Gulf coast. Again, Stuart, Florida is a tropical climate with a Jan mean temp of 18 at their airport station(Witham Field).
Jensen Beach, just northeast of the airport, has no official weather station but there is a PWS in the area. That area's unofficial 10 year averages are extremely warm, with Jan average MINIMUM of 17 and a max of 22, suggesting a mean temp of around 20 for the month, which is warmer than the 30 year normals for January in West Palm Beach.
How much further north you can go and have tropical 10 years? I'm not sure, probably a ways if the unofficial Jensen beach readings are to be trusted. Especially if that PWS reading is from the west side of the intercoastal and not on the actual ocean. Places west of the intercoastal are extremely moderated and blasted from the gulf stream. Sebastian inlet is over 250km north of Miami. They have not had an ocean temperature below 20c all winter and it is currently 22.6 as we near the absolute coldest portion of the year. We are talking about a small strip of land only 1-2km wide and surrounded both sides by this warm water.
As you go inland, the tropical zone will fade quickly. Although the coastal areas parallel to all portions of Okeechobee are tropical, I do not suspect that everywhere on that latitude across the state is tropical. The lake itself is moderating as well though, so maybe all sides of the lake are tropical. I am skeptical someplace like Arcadia, Florida will be tropical at this point.
Nor do I know of anyplace in the Tampa-Sarasota area that is tropical. The gulf side tropical area seems to start further south. I believe Sanibel Island is koppen tropical. I would have to be convinced about places north or due east of there, have yet to see any evidence of tropical Puna Charlotte for example. Despite the southern location(south of Jensen beach), that city has a mean min of 11c in January. Compared to Jensen's unofficial 17c and Stuart's official 13c (keep in mind, Stuart's Jan temp is only 18.2, so there is not much wiggle room here since both places share a smiliar monthly high.)
Port Charlotte's winter lows are identical to Cape Canaveral. To be fair though, PC is not even on the ocean, so we can do better in that area. Sanibel for example
There may be some other islands north of Sanibel which are also tropical, I just am not aware of them.
The East coast boarder is going to be further north than the Gulf coast. Again, Stuart, Florida is a tropical climate with a Jan mean temp of 18 at their airport station(Witham Field).
Jensen Beach, just northeast of the airport, has no official weather station but there is a PWS in the area. That area's unofficial 10 year averages are extremely warm, with Jan average MINIMUM of 17 and a max of 22, suggesting a mean temp of around 20 for the month, which is warmer than the 30 year normals for January in West Palm Beach.
How much further north you can go and have tropical 10 years? I'm not sure, probably a ways if the unofficial Jensen beach readings are to be trusted. Especially if that PWS reading is from the west side of the intercoastal and not on the actual ocean. Places west of the intercoastal are extremely moderated and blasted from the gulf stream. Sebastian inlet is over 250km north of Miami. They have not had an ocean temperature below 20c all winter and it is currently 22.6 as we near the absolute coldest portion of the year. We are talking about a small strip of land only 1-2km wide and surrounded both sides by this warm water.
As you go inland, the tropical zone will fade quickly. Although the coastal areas parallel to all portions of Okeechobee are tropical, I do not suspect that everywhere on that latitude across the state is tropical. The lake itself is moderating as well though, so maybe all sides of the lake are tropical. I am skeptical someplace like Arcadia, Florida will be tropical at this point.
Nor do I know of anyplace in the Tampa-Sarasota area that is tropical. The gulf side tropical area seems to start further south. I believe Sanibel Island is koppen tropical. I would have to be convinced about places north or due east of there, have yet to see any evidence of tropical Puna Charlotte for example. Despite the southern location(south of Jensen beach), that city has a mean min of 11c in January. Compared to Jensen's unofficial 17c and Stuart's official 13c (keep in mind, Stuart's Jan temp is only 18.2, so there is not much wiggle room here since both places share a smiliar monthly high.)
Port Charlotte's winter lows are identical to Cape Canaveral. To be fair though, PC is not even on the ocean, so we can do better in that area. Sanibel for example
There may be some other islands north of Sanibel which are also tropical, I just am not aware of them.
Bokeelia/Pine Island is tropical. Ft. Myers is tropical.
Punta Gorda close to the river might be tropical. Just being on the other side of the river vs Port Charlotte makes a significant difference.
Only the south/southeast sides of Lake Okeechobee are tropical. Pahokee is an exceptional microclimate comparable to the southest FL coastal strip.
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