ORLANDO, Fla. — The 2020 dry season in Central Florida has been exactly that — dry.

The Orlando International Airport has received only 0.63” of rain since March 1, which is 3.87” below average.

Since January 1, the airport has received only 2.82". This is a departure of 6.41” from average.

The dry year so far has resulted in typical dry conditions evolving into a moderate drought across all of Central Florida.

The updated Drought Monitor, last issued on Thursday, pushed the entire region into moderate drought conditions.

The dry conditions and warm temps have also resulted in an increased fire danger.

Burn bans remain in effect for Volusia, Brevard, Orange and Osceola counties. Additional burn bans may become necessary as the high sun angle in April continues to dry out vegetation.

The reason for the dry weather? A ridge of high pressure and the jet stream.

A large upper-level ridge of high pressure often begins to develop in early spring across Florida. This ridge pushes the jet stream —the track storm systems take — away from the state.

This results in no major storm systems moving through the area for extended periods of time, giving the area little rainfall.

April is historically the driest month in Central Florida, with Orlando only receiving on average 2.68”.

The month is also one of the highest for the threat of brushfires, with increased temperatures and dry conditions resulting in the rapid drying of vegetation.

There is some good news — a pattern change that developed from the past weekend looks to remain in place over the next several weeks.

Rain chances are in the forecast for the back end of the week and Easter weekend.

Even more encouraging are the long-term forecasts. The updated 6-10 day and 8-14 forecasts both show above-average rainfall expected across Central Florida.

This increased rainfall forecast would take the area into late April, and could potentially put a dent in the drought and possibly lower the brushfire threat.

So while we’ve been dry for much of the year, there are some strong indications that change may be on the way.