Drought in Far South Miami-dade County, Florida

March rainfall totals were anywhere from 1 to 3 inches below normal across South Florida. This led to a decrease in soil moisture and underground water levels, with most areas at only 10 to 30 percent of water levels. The level of Lake Okeechobee decreased from 12.15 feet at the beginning of March to 11.66 feet by the end of the month, about 2.5 to 3 feet below normal. Fire danger levels remained high across all of South Florida, with forestry officials reporting a near doubling of wildfires in a 4-month period ending in March compared to a similar period last year.

Drier than normal conditions persisted over South Florida in March as seasonal high pressure dominated the region. A few cold fronts brought periods of heavy rain and severe weather, but these were the exception rather than the rule.