# Orlando weather in late August?



## sandesurf (Dec 1, 2009)

Hello,
I know there's a lot of availability in the month of August, and the flights aren't bad, so why is that? It's hurricane season, right? Should we avoid this season, or go for it?
Thanks!


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## DianneL (Dec 1, 2009)

*Hot and Humid*

Based on my experience, the weather in late August in Orlando is very hot and humid.


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## talkamotta (Dec 2, 2009)

Hot and humid are the main reasons for this dry state girl to stay away.  Two of my adult children moved down there and it took them 2 summers to get accustomed to the humidity. 

It will generally rain buckets for a at least 1/2 hour each day but you can bring a light rain outer jacket.  Then it quits and the rain feels good. kind of. cuz you are always going to feel wet. 

Some can handle the humidity.  If you use some of your time in a pool or on the beach, it probably wont matter.


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## Talent312 (Dec 2, 2009)

If you can handle living in a sauna 24/7 'cept when indoors w-AC blasting, you'll be fine. Its not a bad idea, since lines are shorter. Just remember to lather on the sun-screen. As a resident of N/Fla., its what I do.


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 2, 2009)

Most of the children south of the Mason-Dixon Line return to school/college the last 2 weeks of August. And many northern school begin sports/band practices on Aug 1st.


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## Twinkstarr (Dec 2, 2009)

Plus Disney usually starts the Free Dining promo around the middle of August. So if you plan on eating on site sit down places, you better make those ADR's as soon as you can. Because once those FD'ers start booking their trips, watch your sit down dining options are very limited. Character meals go really fast. 

Plus some of the hardcore Free Diners have at least 3 sets of ADR's for a given day. 

It happened to me this fall on my Food & Wine trip, waiting to see if my sister wanted to come along and bang Disney extended FD through early Thanksgiving week. 

Too hot for me then, plus my kids start school the last Wednesday of the month. The proceeding week is registration(both in elementary and upper schools).


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## sandesurf (Dec 2, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies! I've been in the east coast humidity. I think I can handle it. I was mostly worried about hurricane season, but none of you even mentioned that.


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## jamstew (Dec 2, 2009)

I tend not to worry about hurricane season, just the unbearable heat & humidity. I'm used to both, but not to the extremes in Orlando.


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## Judy (Dec 2, 2009)

Hurricane season is June 1 through November 30.  In Florida, we get most of our hurricanes in the late August through early October time frame.  But not every year and they don't usually go through Orlando. Since Orlando is inland, the storms lose some of their strength by the time they get there. (OK, Charley was bad, but that's unusual).  If you're really concerned, buy travel insurance and be sure it covers weather.


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## bnoble (Dec 2, 2009)

> I've been in the east coast humidity. I think I can handle it.


It's not the same.  Trust me.

You know that Dali painting with the melting clocks?  It's a lot like that.

http://www.msdlists.com/surrealism/Dali Persistence of Time.html


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## laurac260 (Dec 2, 2009)

sandesurf said:


> Thanks for all the replies! I've been in the east coast humidity. I think I can handle it. I was mostly worried about hurricane season, but none of you even mentioned that.



Yea, I wouldn't cancel plans in August in any part of Florida just because it is hurricane season.  It's like saying you aren't going to go to Kansas during tornado season, it's the luck of the draw.  Atleast hurricanes give you some notice.  But, on the other hand, you cannot assume that just because you are so far inland in Orlando that you wouldn't be effected if a hurricane came thru.  I remember a hurricane that came thru when I lived in Tampa.  I believe the year was 2004, some of my relatives were visiting Florida at the time (not with me), and evacuated to Orlando to miss an incoming storm coming off the gulf, only to find themselves in the middle of cat 1 hurricane, stuck in a hotel with no power.  So it can happen.  

Regarding humidity, weather is relative to what you are used to, but (and I don't say this to be condescending), if you know east coast humidity then you don't know humidity.  Not the central part of Florida in August kind of humidity.  It really is like being in a steamroom.  The air is very hot, thick and sticky, and the sun is extreme like you've never felt in the east coast.  You will know what I mean as soon as you set foot out of the airport.  And there is little relief to be found except in a pool, or indoors.  Bring lots of sunscreen. 

As previous posters have said, Florida schools start back around Aug 22nd or after (they used to start early to mid august, but the law was changed so they could not start before Aug 22nd).  The last week of Aug is your best bet, though if you are going to Disney it will still be crowded, just a little less.


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## Sea Six (Dec 2, 2009)

August is normally hot and humid, and it is common to have a thundershower in the late afternoon. What I've learned over the last 40 years or so, is that you don't go out immediately after the rain stops.  Even though the air temp was 90 or so before the rain, the temp on the macadam was 110 or so.  When the rain hits the 110 degree pavement, it creates an unbearable sauna effect, like a steam bath. Every thundershower creates a little wind. Wait about an hour or so after the wind blows the humidity around, and THEN go out. You can live with the August quirks if you play your cards right.


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## Talent312 (Dec 2, 2009)

sandesurf said:


> I was mostly worried about hurricane season, but none of you even mentioned that.



Eveni if a hurricane were to head for central Florida, it would likely have little effect on your plans... Orlando (unlike Key West) would not evacuate and the theme parks might close for one-day, but reopen as soon as the skies cleared... their utilities are underground.


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## dioxide45 (Dec 2, 2009)

We went the first week of September this year and the heat and humidity were awful. It can and does compare to east coast humidity. We experienced similar humidity when we went to Savannah several years ago and the heat index was 110F. The difference is that the heat and humidity doesn't go away like it does along other areas of the east coast. It doesn't cool off as much when the sun goes down and those afternoon storms just make things worse since there is more water to evaporate and make more humidity.


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## Luanne (Dec 2, 2009)

I was on the gulf coast of Florida this past August (early part of the month).  It was horrible (hot and humid).  I can't imagine what it would have been like inland.


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## Neil (Dec 2, 2009)

We were in Orlando in August 2005 when Katrina came through. I believe it was a Category I or II when it hit Florida. The hurricane was south of Orlando, so it didn't have a big impact on us. However, the lingering thunderstorms and lightening cancelled several outside shows at the parks for a few days. Nothing too major at the time. I remember the heat and humidity were awful and the parks were still crowded. We only went in August because we still had kids in school.


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## laurac260 (Dec 2, 2009)

dioxide45 said:


> We went the first week of September this year and the heat and humidity were awful. It can and does compare to east coast humidity. We experienced similar humidity when we went to Savannah several years ago and the heat index was 110F. The difference is that the heat and humidity doesn't go away like it does along other areas of the east coast. It doesn't cool off as much when the sun goes down and those afternoon storms just make things worse since there is more water to evaporate and make more humidity.



I did not find Savannah or HHI in mid August to be at all unbearable compared to Orlando.  In fact I found both  to be quite comfortable in comparison to Orlando, and that was after spending two years back in SW OH..  To me, HHI and Savannah compared more to the humidity in Cincinnati.  Sticky but Bearable.


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## RIMike (Dec 2, 2009)

*Very Hot, and Wet*

Orlando in August: I live just 70 miles away in Tampa...and that is our worst month of the year temp wise...and Orlando is always hotter and wetter than we are.  

You are also correct that it is Hurricane season...but the worst month for that is actually September, peaking around the 20th.


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## sandesurf (Dec 3, 2009)

Geez, I'm sweating just reading about it! Thanks for all your responses.


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## bnoble (Dec 3, 2009)

Don't let it deter you though---we went down in the second half of July last year, and spent most of our days in water parks.  It was really quite pleasant.  We're going down again next year in the last week of July, and thinking of trying the theme parks a bit as well.


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## Present (Dec 3, 2009)

*yeah, nothing but water parks....*

way way to hot for rides and WDW unless you stick only to the water parks


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