Every year, snowbirds arrive in Florida to enjoy the sun and heat. After all, it is called the Sunshine State. But according to a new report from Redfin, Florida is home to the nation’s two rainiest cities, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, with each receiving an average of about 68 inches of precipitation per year.
Three other Florida cities — West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie and Tallahassee — ranked in the top 12, each soaking under an average of more than 58 inches a year. Nevertheless, rainy Florida may still be worthy of its sunny nickname and serve as a reliable winter refuge. Its showers come in short, powerful bursts during the summer and fall, typically from tropical storms, thunderstorms and hurricanes, the report notes. Winters remain comparatively dry and bright.
The study actually used two metrics to rank U.S. cities: average inches of precipitation per year, and average days of measurable precipitation (at least 0.01 inches) per year. Data was drawn from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its subsidiaries and other sources, and only cities with populations of more than 100,000 were included.
When measuring by total inches of precipitation in a year, every city in the top 10 was in the South. But when measuring instead by total days of precipitation during a year, the entire top 10 was up north. And the wettest of all wasn’t Seattle, as its reputation might suggest. That distinction went to Syracuse, N.Y., followed by another upstate New York city, Buffalo. Rochester, 75 miles east, ranked fourth.
Rain or snow falls in these New York cities almost half the year thanks to the proximity of the Great Lakes. Weather patterns bring cold air from the west and northwest, picking up moisture as they travel over the vast bodies of water.
The consistently wet (and cold) weather in upstate New York may have something to do with why the region remains so affordable. Contrast that with major Florida cities, where housing prices have gone through the roof — something you’ll need with all that rain.
For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here.