What should you know about Leesburg's weather?
- NWS office
- Melbourne (MLB)
- Climate
- Humid subtropical
- Time zone
- EST/EDT
- Elevation
- 98 ft
- Coordinates
- 28.81° N, 81.88° W
- Nearest radar
- KTBW · Tampa NEXRAD · 83 mi
- County
- Lake County, FL
- Yearly rain
- 43.8 in
- Warmest month
- August · 83.3°F average
- Coldest month
- January · 59.4°F average
- Severe storm peak
- Apr to Jun
How much rain does Leesburg get each month?
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 69.9 | 73.3 | 77.3 | 82.7 | 88.1 | 90.7 | 91.1 | 91.7 | 89.7 | 84.5 | 77.3 | 72.4 |
| Low °F | 48.9 | 52.0 | 56.0 | 61.7 | 67.7 | 73.1 | 74.9 | 75.0 | 73.1 | 66.1 | 57.1 | 52.0 |
| Rain (in) | 2.51 | 2.08 | 3.22 | 2.04 | 2.68 | 6.98 | 5.88 | 6.63 | 5.21 | 2.62 | 1.76 | 2.17 |
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69.9 | 48.9 | 2.51 |
| Feb | 73.3 | 52.0 | 2.08 |
| Mar | 77.3 | 56.0 | 3.22 |
| Apr | 82.7 | 61.7 | 2.04 |
| May | 88.1 | 67.7 | 2.68 |
| Jun | 90.7 | 73.1 | 6.98 |
| Jul | 91.1 | 74.9 | 5.88 |
| Aug | 91.7 | 75.0 | 6.63 |
| Sep | 89.7 | 73.1 | 5.21 |
| Oct | 84.5 | 66.1 | 2.62 |
| Nov | 77.3 | 57.1 | 1.76 |
| Dec | 72.4 | 52.0 | 2.17 |
LEESBURG MUNI AP, FL US · 4 mi away · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020
What happened near Leesburg in the Groundhog Day tornadoes of 2007?
Two tornadoes that reached EF-3 strength crossed Lake County in the early morning hours of February 2, 2007. NWS Melbourne counted 21 deaths in the county. The first began near Wildwood in Sumter County and lifted east of Lady Lake, with peak winds of 155 to 160 mph along a 16.5 mile track. The second touched down in rural Lake County and hit the Lake Mack area before crossing into Volusia County. Both struck while most people were asleep, so a NOAA Weather Radio with an alarm or a phone alert matters more than a radar loop at night.
How strong was the July 2000 wind storm in Leesburg?
It was a macroburst, a thunderstorm downdraft wider than 2 1/2 miles. On July 20, 2000 it stretched for nearly 5 miles along Highway 441 east of Leesburg. Most of it brought winds of 50 to 60 mph, but smaller microbursts inside it approached 100 mph at and near the Leesburg Airport and at trailer parks east of the airport. Severe storms crossed Lake County three times that evening. On the Melbourne radar the storm grew tall well before the worst winds hit, and warnings went out well ahead of them.
Why do summer storms build over Leesburg in the afternoon?
Leesburg sits in the middle of the peninsula, where the Atlantic and Gulf sea breezes push inland and collide. A National Weather Service lightning study found that this collision greatly boosts cloud-to-ground lightning over the central peninsula, and that July is the most active month for lightning in Florida. June is the wettest month at the Leesburg airport station, with a normal of 6.98 inches. On radar, watch for thin lines of weak echoes moving inland from each coast, because new storms tend to fire where those lines meet.
Why can storms look weaker on the leesburg weather radar than they really are?
KTBW near Tampa is the nearest NEXRAD at about 83 miles from Leesburg, and its beam gets higher above the ground with distance. NOAA notes that the beam also spreads about 1,000 feet for every 10 miles, so at 100 miles it is nearly 2 miles wide. At long range the lowest scan may only see into the middle portion of a storm. Small features such as a hook are often masked at that distance, so treat a Tornado Warning as real even when the loop looks ordinary.
When should you check the Leesburg radar?
Severe storm peak
April to JuneAbout 53% of the county's 1996 to 2025 severe reports fall from April to June. Boaters heading out from Venetian Gardens onto Lake Harris check the loop before afternoon cells build.
Hurricane season
June 1 to November 30Most Atlantic activity comes between mid-August and mid-October. Bands arrive in bursts of heavy rain and gusty wind with drier gaps between them, so drivers on US-27 time trips around the gaps on the loop.
What else do people ask about the Leesburg radar?
Which NWS office and radar cover Leesburg?
NWS Melbourne (MLB) issues forecasts and warnings for Leesburg. The nearest NEXRAD radar is KTBW, about 83 miles from the city center.
How often does the radar on this page update?
The radar loop on this page updates every 5 minutes.
Is this page an official warning service?
No. It shows radar and forecasts only. For warnings, follow NWS Melbourne and local emergency alerts.
Quick facts
- Radar: KTBW (Tampa NEXRAD), a new frame every 5 minutes
- Forecasts and warnings: NWS Melbourne (MLB)
- Severe storms peak from April to June (NOAA Storm Events, 1996 to 2025)
- Local time: EST/EDT
- Radar: KTBW, a new frame every 5 minutes
- Warnings: NWS Melbourne (MLB)
- Severe storms: April to June
- Local time: EST/EDT
Where does this data come from?
- NOAA NEXRAD radar via Iowa Environmental Mesonet
- National Weather Service, Melbourne office
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020: LEESBURG MUNI AP, FL US
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1996 to 2025
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service
- GOES-East satellite imagery
- Open-Meteo forecast API
- OpenStreetMap contributors
- NWS Melbourne: The Groundhog Day tornado outbreak, February 2, 2007
- NWS Melbourne: Leesburg wind storm, July 20, 2000
- NWS Melbourne: A 10-year monthly lightning climatology of Florida
- NOAA JetStream: Radar beams
- National Weather Service Birmingham: Shortcomings of NWS radar
- National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology