000
NOUS42 KTBW 040300
PNSTBW

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1000 PM EST FRI FEB 3 2006

                    ...FEAST OR FAMINE...

IT IS CURRENTLY THE DRY SEASON ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA AND FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN
RUNNING WELL BELOW NORMAL.  HOWEVER...TODAY THE REMNANTS OF A COLD
FRONT COMBINED WITH UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING ACROSS THE AREA
LED TO HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY ACROSS PARTS OF THE TAMPA BAY
REGION.

MANY LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA HAVE RECEIVED OVER THREE
INCHES OF RAIN TODAY...WITH PARTS OF CENTRAL PINELLAS RECEIVING OVER
TEN INCHES.  UNFORTUNATELY...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS MOVING
EASTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S. AND GULF OF MEXICO AND THIS IS
TAPPING TROPICAL MOISTURE AND SPREADING IT NORTH ACROSS THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA.  THIS COMBINED WITH ADDITIONAL ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES
MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW WILL LEAD TO MORE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO THE
REGION BRINGING COOLER AND MUCH DRIER WEATHER FOR THE REST OF THE
WEEKEND.

FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY AND UNOFFICIAL RAINFALL TOTALS FROM
MIDNIGHT TO 9 PM TODAY AT SOME SELECTED LOCATIONS ACROSS WEST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:


OBSERVING SITE                COUNTY           RAIN TODAY
                                                (INCHES)
...AIRPORTS...
TAMPA INTL                    HILLSBOROUGH        8.24
ST PETE/CLEARWATER INTL       PINELLAS            8.20
LAKELAND LINDER               POLK                3.69
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE        HILLSBOROUGH        3.63
BROOKSVILLE/HERNANDO CO       HERNANDO            2.41
WINTER HAVEN/GILBERT FIELD    POLK                1.67
ST PETE/ALBERT WHITTED        PINELLAS            0.96
FORT MYERS/PAGE FIELD         LEE                 0.53
PUNTA GORDA/CHARLOTTE CO      CHARLOTTE           0.31
SARASOTA-BRADENTON INTL       MANATEE             0.21

...OTHERS...
PINELLAS PARK (UPR HIGHLANDS CANAL)     PINELLAS           11.17
PINELLAS PARK (PINEBROOK CANAL)         PINELLAS            7.90
SAWGRASS LAKE                           PINELLAS            7.50
SEMINOLE                                PINELLAS            7.01
CITRUS PARK                             HILLSBOROUGH        6.90
LARGO                                   PINELLAS            6.44
TAMPA (NEAR BUSCH GARDENS)              HILLSBOROUGH        5.68
CLEARWATER                              PINELLAS            5.81
THONOTOSASSA                            HILLSBOROUGH        4.35
THONOTOSASSA                            HILLSBOROUGH        4.24
PLANT CITY                              HILLSBOROUGH        3.60
LAND O LAKES                            PASCO               3.40
VALRICO                                 HILLSBOROUGH        3.30
BLOOMINGDALE                            HILLSBOROUGH        3.04
DUNEDIN                                 PINELLAS            2.87
ST LEO                                  PASCO               2.75
HOLIDAY 5 E                             PASCO               2.43
RERDELL                                 HERNANDO            1.96
HOLDER (WITHLACOOCHEE RVR)              CITRUS              1.71
TRILBY (WITHLACOOCHEE RVR)              HERNANDO            1.56
LAKE PANASOFFKEE                        SUMTER              1.54
BARTOW                                  POLK                1.39
DUETTE                                  MANATEE             1.32
FORT MEADE                              POLK                0.85
COLEMAN 2 W                             SUMTER              0.58
RUSKIN/NWS                              HILLSBOROUGH        0.46
WIMAUMA                                 HILLSBOROUGH        0.24

FOR MORE CLIMATE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT THE FOLLOWING
LINK:  HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW/  AND THEN CLICK ON THE LOCAL
LINK IN THE CLIMATE SECTION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE.

$$

PRC