Miami and Fort Lauderdale: rain could affect weekend events

A weekend’s worth of needed rain is in the forecast for South Florida, which may damper plans for those attending the Fair, an orchid festival and Calle Ocho, where thousands dance in the streets along Southwest Eighth Street.

Call it good news mixed with a bit of sacrifice.

“This rain is definitely welcome because of the drought we’ve been in,” said meteorologist Chuck Caracozza of the National Weather Service in Miami. “We’ve been very dry. Parts of the area are under severe to extreme drought. It’s definitely going to be welcome rainfall.”

The only downfall is the timing. You may be dodging downpours at this weekend’s events in Miami and the Fort Lauderdale area.

Why we’re getting rain

Credit a coming front that will stall out over the area, Sunday into Monday, which looks to be the timeframe for the heaviest rain and possible thunderstorms, said Caracozza. The front should pass through Monday night and Tuesday.

It’s a little too early to tell how many inches may fall, Caracozza said Wednesday. The drought relief could depend on where the heaviest storms set up.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to arrive by Thursday afternoon and continue Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Rain chances are 20% Thursday; 50% Friday; 60% Saturday; 70% Sunday and drops to 60% Monday.

That rainy weather sets up the next cold front around Tuesday. That chill down after a warm weekend in the 80s could bring overnight lows into the upper-50s or low 60s early in the work week, according to the weather service. Daytime highs Monday are forecast in the 80s and cooler 70s on Tuesday.

Fairgoers enjoy a ride during the first day of the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition in this file photo from March 13, 2025. D.A. Varela Miami Herald file Local outdoor weekend events

There are several outdoor events in Miami-Dade and Broward that could do battle with the downpours. Among them:

Calle Ocho Music Festival. The Carnaval Miami signature event is at 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday along Southwest Eighth Street from Southwest 12th to 27th avenues. Destiny Arancivia, 3, showers friends and relatives with bubbles from her pink “My Little Pony” bubble machine at the Calle Ocho Festival on Sunday, March 9, 2025. The 2026 event is March 15, 2026. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com Orchid Festival at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. The Orchids in Bloom festival showcases more than 100,000 orchids, along with vendors, displays and outdoor activities.Miami-Dade County Youth Fair begins Thursday, March 12, and its opening stretch on the weekend starts at noon and runs into the evening Saturday-Sunday at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo fairgrounds, 10901 SW 24th St., Miami. The fair runs through April 5.Miami-Dade County Great Strides Walk sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Check-in at 7 a.m. followed by the start of the walk at 8 a.m. Sunday at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami.St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival in Fort Lauderdale, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday around Tunnel Top Plaza and the Las Olas Boulevard area of downtown Fort Lauderdale.Cooper City Founder’s Day Celebration at 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Saturday at Brian Piccolo Park, 9501 Sheridan St, Cooper City.Pre-rain heat

Near record heat is expected Thursday, according to meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez of CBS Miami. She’s forecasting 87 degrees for Miami and Fort Lauderdale and 85 for Key West.

This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM.

Howard Cohen

Miami Herald

Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication.
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