10 day forecast is making me nervous!

[pennylane16]

So we're not quite at the 10 day forecast point yet for our trip, but it's coming up very soon. So I peeked at the 10 day forecast to get an idea of what the weather might be like and it's like 10 days straight of "Thunderstorms". I know a rain shower is typical for Florida, but is it really like thunderstorms most of the day in August? I guess I'm hoping to hear from people who have successfully traveled to WDW in mid-late August and not been terribly affected by the crazy weather! Anyone?

 

[TinkLoverSam]

There are daily thunderstorms but they are from 3pm ish to 5pm ish

 

[tinka-belle]

They are never very accurate more than a few days out. We've been going to WDW in late Aug. for more than 10 years and experience has taught us not to fret too much over the forecast. Seems that 30% - 40% rain or thunderstorms is the typical forecast for this time of year. We check the forecast the night before and again in the morning before heading out, and even those can be different. It can rain in one park and not another during those afternoon storms, some of them are really local.

Only time I pay closer attention is when a few days out they predict high % of rain, but even that can change. We were at MK a couple of years ago and it rained off and on from mid afternoon and into late evening, sometimes a heavy downpour. We stayed in the park but were pretty soggy at the end of the night. Since the forecast called for more of the same the following day and evening I CANCELLED my BOG dinner res for the next night, telling DH I did not want to schlep that far into MK to eat dinner wet. We went to (then) DTD instead, and of course it never rained after the brief afternoon storm at DTD or at MK.....

 

[CAS239]

Don't look at anything more than 12 hours out. Plan and be prepared for rain but you likely won't see much.

We've gotten some decent showers, but overall this year has been really dry which is why we've had a lot of fires.

For FL forecast anything outside of Oct-Feb will say 90 degrees, 60% chance of scattered showers.

It could say 100% chance of rain for your day, but that doesn't mean it's going to rain all day (it's usually brief showers that last 30 min-2 hours), and doesn't even mean you'll see rain at all. It could be raining at AK and be bright and sunny at MK.

Bring windbreakers or ponchos and be prepared, but don't worry at all about the rain

 

[Shanti]

There are daily thunderstorms at WDW throughout most of the summer. They typically hit in the afternoon or early evening (even on days with crystal clear mornings), and last for a few hours. On a bad day, they'll eat up the entire afternoon & evening, but in summertime a 1-3 hour storm is much more typical than a half-day storm.

As a rule when touring in summer, plan to do most of your outdoor rides in the morning, when it is least likely to rain. Wear a sturdy pair of waterproof sandals (I wear Tevas), avoid denim, which feels yucky when wet & dries slowly, and carry lightweight ponchos to throw on when rain starts.

 

[Klayfish]

It's summer.

It's Florida.

It storms.

 

[osopecoso]

It's Florida, expect rain/thunderstorms/hail/etc... it will happen in the AM (here in south Florida in stormed from 11-2pm) and in the pm. Do not rely on the 10 day forecast. The 5 day is better. Invest in some good ponchos/umbrellas and hope for the best.

 

[OKW Lover]

This is one time when I'll say that the 10-day forecast is probably right. We live only 2 miles from the Castle and this time of year there are brief thunderstorms nearly every afternoon. They pass quickly and people just carry on.

 

[pennylane16]

Thanks to all those who took the time to kindly share helpful answers!

 

[mousehockey37]

This is one time when I'll say that the 10-day forecast is probably right. We live only 2 miles from the Castle and this time of year there are brief thunderstorms nearly every afternoon. They pass quickly and people just carry on.

A couple years ago we were down and we had the afternoon storms blow up, but there were two systems on each body of water... it blew the storms up and they didn't move! It started at 4 and didn't end til after midnight. Granted, the WESH2 weather team was even saying that it wasn't typical.

 

[laurabelle]

I leave in 2 days. Now that you mention it, I haven't looked at the weather forecast once. It will be hot, there will be rain...probably not all day, but that could happen. The only time I would concern myself with the weather at WDW is if a hurricane is coming. That would be national news. And we've been there done that too. Relax and enjoy getting ready for your vacation!

 

[GPC0321]

You'll probably be grateful for those thunderstorms. They won't last all day, and they do offer a brief respite from the brutal heat. Of course, it can be pretty steamy once the sun comes back out, but when the storms are coming across or are nearby, at least the sun isn't baking you for a little while and there is often a breeze.

I remember being concerned about the 10-day forecast for our last trip. It showed 40-60% chance of rain and storms every day we were there. This was Easter 2016, and my visions of beautiful springtime at Disney with Flower and Garden and lounging by the pool, etc. were ruined with that forecast.

We had ONE afternoon/evening where rain was a disruption, and even that was kind of fun. My mom and I still reminisce about that day as one of our favorites as we took cover in the shops on Main Street USA to wait out a pretty strong thunderstorm that was dumping buckets of rain down. We watched the mass exodus of people fleeing the park, laughing when the teenage girls were screaming when a crash of thunder would scare them. The Dapper Dans had come inside where we were and were entertaining the guests sheltering in the shops. We watched the glass-blowers work on their creations, ogled the Dooney & Burke bags, tried on hats, and when the storm had eased up enough, we donned our ponchos and sloshed off towards Columbia Harbor House to grab a bite. We left MK soon after and headed to Epcot. It was still drizzling/sprinkling, but we had some fastpasses, so we rode our rides and then went and got snacks from France. The skies finally cleared as it was getting dark, and we had a fastpass for IllumiNations, which was spectacular. We hit MouseGears gift shop on the way out of the park that night, loaded up on junk we didn't need but couldn't live without (LOL), and exhausted but fulfilled, went back to the resort.

That was the last day/night of our trip, and it's such a fond memory, rain and all. I realized then that being in Disney in the rain is still better than not being in Disney at all.

 

[anniemae]

It is summer in FL, which means the rainy season. Hurricane season. Be thankful there is no hurricane, it has happened to us twice in Aug. Not fun.

It will rain pretty much every day in the afternoon. Usually downpours for a bit, maybe some thunder thrown in. I notice the summer forecast is the same for the whole summer. It will show rain/thunderstorms. The FL weather is wildly unpredictable. Just pack a poncho and soldier on.

 

[laurabelle]

My mom and I still reminisce about that day as one of our favorites as we took cover in the shops on Main Street USA to wait out a pretty strong thunderstorm that was dumping buckets of rain down. We watched the mass exodus of people fleeing the park, laughing when the teenage girls were screaming when a crash of thunder would scare them. The Dapper Dans had come inside where we were and were entertaining the guests sheltering in the shops.

I've learned to try to run into the biggest store if possible. You could be there a while. One of the very best safari rides I ever had was in a downpour. I would never leave a park just because it's raining.

See OP, you'll be making memories!

 

[Tomh]

I've a good friend who lives in Florida, and she always says if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it'll change.

It's not quite that bad, but you have to take those thunderstorm forecasts with a grain of salt. What it really means is there is a good possibility of a thunderstorm at some point in the day. Pretty much, that is the forecast all summer long in Florida. The heat during the day evaporates a lot of water out of the surrounding oceans. At some point in the afternoon, all that evaporation pushes the humidity so high that a storm builds up. It rains like mad for a while, and then it is over with.

There are the occasional days where it really rains for most of the day, but that typically only happens when a storm system is coming through. As long as there isn't a tropical storm, or Hurricane in the forecast, you can reasonably assume that you will just get an afternoon storm, which typically lasts somewhere between 15 minutes, and an hour or so, and the rest of the day will be bright, and sunny.

So then, don't let the forecast scare you, the weather will very likely be a whole lot better than you are expecting.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

It's summer.

It's Florida.

It storms.

It would not be a Disney vacation without the use of our poncho's. I think I'd be disappointed it we didn't have a downpour or five.

 

[Spridell]

You have to remember we are now in Hurricane season down here in FL for the next 3 months so systems can pop up.

One looks to be popping up for this week coming up. When these systems come through it will be more than just a quick thunderstorm. There could be several hours of heavy rains.

Just be prepared

 

[Klayfish]

One other thing to remember. The way storms are in Florida, it's very possible that it'll be pouring in AK and sunny in MK. Heck, it could be pouring at Splash Mountain and sunny at Tomorrowland Speedway.

 

[pennylane16]

Thank you for the responses! Very reassuring! I've been to Disney in November, April, and late June/early July, but never August. Crossing my fingers & toes for no hurricanes during our trip! Thanks again for the reassurance and for sharing your positive stories!

 

[maryj11]

I'm not going to worry about the weather unless a hurricane is approaching. Then I would say heavy rains for long periods.