Central Florida is making progress on its historic drought, but the timing is less than ideal. Just as recent rain has helped improve conditions, the region is reaching the time of year when showers and storms typically become less frequent, called the ‘Dry Season’.

The dry season typically begins around Oct. 15 in Orlando, Sanford and Daytona Beach, with Melbourne following around Oct. 17, according to the National Weather Service.

Seasons of Change

The U.S. Drought Monitor maps from May 26 and Oct. 6 show how drought conditions across Florida have evolved through the wet season.

Florida’s drought peaked during the late winter and early spring, when nearly the entire state was experiencing severe drought or worse.

Summer thunderstorms have since helped improve conditions across much of the state, although significant rainfall deficits and lingering drought impacts remain.

Central Florida has endured an especially difficult stretch, including the longest continuous period of severe drought conditions since the multi-year drought of 2000 and 2001.

Wetter Winter Ahead

The transition to the dry season does not mean the rain stops completely. In fact, the developing El Niño pattern could help bring more frequent storm systems and additional rainfall to Florida during the fall and winter.

The Climate Prediction Center’s October through December outlook favors above-average precipitation across Central and Northern Florida, offering some hope for continued drought improvement.

However, seasonal outlooks are not guarantees, and additional rainfall will be needed to replenish water supplies, improve lake levels and ease longer-term drought impacts.

For now, Central Florida is heading into the dry season with some welcome progress, but the drought story is not over yet. Keep checking News6 for the latest updates on rainfall and drought conditions.