There may be signs of warmer winters in the northern latitudes, but in Florida the data are just the opposite, according to the latest summaries compiled by the National Weather Service.
And despite the influence of El Nino, it was not particularly as rainy as it has been in the past.
In this part of Florida, it was way down in the double digits for rankings for coolest or wettest winters. We were not even on the scale for heat, despite reports from other parts of the world.
You can view the details at : Feb2024_Winter2023_24_final.pdf (weather.gov)
This is reflected in river flows.
Going into the typically dry spring season, flow in the Peace River in Bartow is barely enough to make boating possible without a lot of portaging, providing there are no tree falls to make the journey even more perilous.
Downstream at Arcadia, there is decent water flow, but less than the average flow for this time of year and without rain from upstream areas, it is likely the flow will decline.
If you plan a trip on the water on the scenic upper reaches of the river, keep that in mind.