What should you know about Stuart's weather?
- NWS office
- Melbourne (MLB)
- Climate
- Humid subtropical
- Time zone
- EST/EDT
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Coordinates
- 27.20° N, 80.25° W
- Nearest radar
- KMLB · Melbourne NEXRAD · 68 mi
- County
- Martin County, FL
- Yearly rain
- 51.2 in
- Warmest month
- August · 81.6°F average
- Coldest month
- January · 62.3°F average
- Severe storm peak
- Mar to May
How much rain does Stuart get each month?
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 73.4 | 75.7 | 78.3 | 81.9 | 85.6 | 88.5 | 90.3 | 90.2 | 88.1 | 84.2 | 79.2 | 75.4 |
| Low °F | 51.2 | 53.9 | 56.5 | 61.1 | 66.8 | 71.3 | 72.6 | 72.9 | 72.6 | 68.5 | 60.6 | 55.7 |
| Rain (in) | 2.82 | 2.17 | 2.88 | 3.03 | 3.93 | 6.69 | 5.85 | 6.94 | 6.27 | 5.25 | 3.01 | 2.33 |
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73.4 | 51.2 | 2.82 |
| Feb | 75.7 | 53.9 | 2.17 |
| Mar | 78.3 | 56.5 | 2.88 |
| Apr | 81.9 | 61.1 | 3.03 |
| May | 85.6 | 66.8 | 3.93 |
| Jun | 88.5 | 71.3 | 6.69 |
| Jul | 90.3 | 72.6 | 5.85 |
| Aug | 90.2 | 72.9 | 6.94 |
| Sep | 88.1 | 72.6 | 6.27 |
| Oct | 84.2 | 68.5 | 5.25 |
| Nov | 79.2 | 60.6 | 3.01 |
| Dec | 75.4 | 55.7 | 2.33 |
FT PIERCE ST LUCIE CO INTL AP, FL US · 22 mi away · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020
What did Hurricane Milton's outer bands do to Stuart?
They produced two tornadoes in the Stuart area on October 9, 2024. The stronger one, an EF-2 with winds up to 120 mph, touched down near I-95 and US-1 and tracked 5.7 miles. It tore the roofs off wood-framed homes in Mariner Sands, where one resident was hurt, then damaged nearly 30 homes in the Manatee Creek subdivision. The first, an EF-1 with peak winds of 95 mph, tossed a camper home and injured its occupant before it became a waterspout over the St. Lucie River. Outer-band tornadoes spin up and lift within minutes, so act on a tornado warning even when the hurricane's center looks far away on radar.
How strong was the downburst at Witham Field in 2008?
The air traffic control tower at Witham Field reported a wind gust of 97 mph at 3:55 PM on March 6, 2008. By 3:34 PM the storm was already moving across Stuart and producing small hail. As it crossed the airport, the winds damaged several aircraft and hangars on the north side of the field. At 3:15 PM, NWS Melbourne radar had flagged it as a severe storm capable of nickel-size hail and damaging winds over 60 mph. A downburst is straight-line wind pouring out of a storm's core, so damaging gusts can arrive with no rotation on radar.
How large has hail been around Stuart?
Hail up to 1.5 inches fell on February 24, 2010, when one long-lived storm tracked northeast at 45 mph from just south of Port Mayaca across Indiantown to Palm City and Jensen Beach. That storm injured two golfers in Palm City. Cold temperatures aloft combined with surface heating to let storms grow large hail that day. At that speed a storm crosses the county quickly, so check which way the cells are moving on the loop, not just how bright they look.
Why does Stuart flood in heavy rain?
Repeated rounds of heavy rain on saturated ground, sometimes timed with high tide, leave the water nowhere to go. On June 2 and 3, 2020, widespread totals of 5 to 10 inches fell on parts of Jensen Beach, Stuart, Palm City and Hobe Sound, with rates of 6 inches in less than 4 hours. Water poured into some homes in Stuart near Manatee Pocket, where heavy rain combined with a high tide. Tropical Storm Fay left a storm total of 15.02 inches at Stuart in August 2008. On radar, the warning sign is a band that keeps forming over the same spot for hours.
Why can the Stuart weather radar miss low storms?
The nearest radar, KMLB, is about 68 miles from Stuart. Radar beam height increases with range, so by the time the beam reaches Stuart it is scanning well above the ground. Shallow showers and the base of a brief tornado can look weak or not show at all. Use the loop for storm motion and lean on NWS Melbourne warnings for what is happening near the ground.
When should you check the Stuart radar?
Severe storm peak
March to MayAbout 64% of the county's 1996 to 2025 severe reports fall from March to May. Boaters leaving Port Salerno check the loop first, since spring storms can race in from the west faster than they look.
Hurricane season
June 1 to November 30Frances and Jeanne both came ashore at the southern end of Hutchinson Island in September 2004, and Jeanne's eye crossed the coast just east of Stuart. Island residents follow county evacuation orders instead of waiting for an eye to show up on radar.
What else do people ask about the Stuart radar?
Which NWS office and radar cover Stuart?
NWS Melbourne (MLB) issues forecasts and warnings for Stuart. The nearest NEXRAD radar is KMLB, about 68 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: KMLB (Melbourne NEXRAD), a new frame every 5 minutes
- Forecasts and warnings: NWS Melbourne (MLB)
- Severe storms peak from March to May (NOAA Storm Events, 1996 to 2025)
- Local time: EST/EDT
- Radar: KMLB, a new frame every 5 minutes
- Warnings: NWS Melbourne (MLB)
- Severe storms: March to May
- 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: FT PIERCE ST LUCIE CO INTL 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: Hurricane Milton impacts to East Central Florida
- NWS Melbourne: Stuart and Witham Field downburst, March 6, 2008
- NWS Melbourne: Large hail across Martin and southeast St. Lucie County
- NWS Melbourne: Coastal Martin County heavy rainfall and flash floods, 2020
- NWS Melbourne: Tropical Storm Fay, August 18 to 23, 2008
- National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Jeanne tropical cyclone report