TREASURE COAST — A surge of steady rain is sweeping across the Treasure Coast, a major switch up after months of relatively dry conditions.
Meteorologists say the change is being driven by a stalled weather system lingering over Florida, creating a pattern favorable for prolonged rainfall.
Megan Tollefsen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, said the setup is allowing moisture to build across the region.
“We had a cold front approach the Florida Peninsula and it's kind of stalled out across the Florida Peninsula and so when we have a setup like this we can see a weather pattern that we're in right now where you get increased moisture and increasing rain chances across the area. The front is stalled pretty much directly over central Florida and so that has contributed to these increasing rain chances,” she said.
The rainfall comes as the region emerges from drought conditions, with forecasters now calling for widespread accumulation over the next several days.
“Right now, based off of our guidance, the Treasure Coast region could see anywhere between roughly two to four inches and along the immediate coast there is a very, very low, like less than a five percent chance of some spots seeing six inches or greater. But generally speaking, we're anticipating about two to four inches,” she said.
According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest rainfall is expected along coastal areas, where totals between 2 and 4 inches are likely through Thursday. Forecasters say isolated higher amounts are possible, raising concerns about localized flooding, particularly in low-lying or poorly drained areas.
A flood watch is in effect for Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, where repeated rounds of rain could lead to standing water on roadways and other hazards.
Rain chances across the region have climbed into the 80% to 90% range, with multiple waves of moisture expected to move through midweek. The National Weather Service also noted that saturated ground conditions could increase the risk of flooding as additional rain falls.
Looking ahead, forecasters expect the unsettled pattern to begin easing toward the end of the week.
“We do have rain chances kind of remaining higher through about Thursday. Might see some isolated stuff into Friday but by this weekend it's forecast to become a little bit drier,” Tollefsen said.
While widespread severe storms are not expected, officials say occasional thunderstorms and gusty winds remain possible through midweek as the system slowly moves out of the area.