Climate and Storm History of The Villages, Florida

The climate in The Villages, Florida is transitional, maintaining many characteristics of a tropical climate despite being located on the southern fringe of the humid subtropical climate zone.  There are two major seasons each year.  From June until late September, The Villages experiences hot, humid and rainy weather, and this period roughly coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season.  The second is the dry, warm season which last through October through May and is characterized by less frequent rainfall.  Still, there are considerably warm temperatures during the dry season.

During the height of the humid summer months in The Villages, temperatures rarely fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and daytime highs are mostly in the 90s.  The region’s humidity actually provides a buffer which prevents actual temperatures from exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  However, the effect also pushes the heat index to over 110 degrees on a frequent basis.  The Villages highest recorded temperature is 101 degrees and it was set July 2, 1998.  During the wet season in The Villages, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur in the afternoon almost daily.  Mainly caused by air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean colliding over Central Florida, they include spectacular lightning and can also bring heavy rain, powerful winds, and occasional damaging hail.

In the cooler months in The Villages, humidity is considerably lower and temperatures are more moderate.  Average nighttime lows in January are around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and average daytime highs are in the mid-70s.  Temperatures rarely dip below freezing in the winter, and snow is exceptionally rare.  The only measurable accumulation ever to occur in region around The Villages was in 1948, though some surrounding areas did accumulate six inches in a snow event in 1977.

The Villages has a some hurricane risk, although it is not as high as in South Florida’s urban corridor or other coastal regions.  Since the city is located inland from the Atlantic and far from the Gulf of Mexico; as such, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving.  During the notorious 2004 hurricane season, The Villages was affected by three hurricanes that caused significant damage in surrounding areas, with Hurricane Charley the worst of these.  Tornadoes are not usually connected with the strong thunderstorms of the summer, but are more common during the infrequent storms of winter, as well as in passing hurricanes.