We're frequently asked what is the annual total rainfall in Windsor -- it's about 160 cm [~ 63 inches], so that makes Windsor a "tropical moist forest" biome.
In the tropics, the timing and intensity of rainfall, along with the number of consecutive rain-free days (drought-cycles), are factors which are as important as the total precipitation for the year. Rain drives the timing of flowering and fruiting in plants, the emergence patterns of insects, and the timing of breeding seasons of fruit- and insect-feeding birds and bats.
If we had to describe a "normal" year back when patterns were predictably reliable before climate change started to dig in, we'd say that mid-December through March is the winter dry season, where we might go for 2-4 weeks without any precipitation until a Nor'Easter brings 3-5 days of rain to Jamaica. April might see the occasional afternoon thunderstorm, but the spring rainy season generally begins in mid-May and runs for about a month. July and August are good for afternoon thunderstorms, intense downpours which last for about an hour, but usually by 4 pm., the sky is clear. September-to-November is marked by tropical depressions and slow-moving frontal systems that tend to bring prolonged, drizzly rains which go on for days . . . and days . . . and days. Indeed, October and early November is generally the wettest period, with the highest number of consecutive "days with rain".
Because Windsor House runs entirely on photovoltaics, Dr. Susan has become acutely aware of changes in the daily timings of cloud formations and durations of rainfall events in the years since 2018. One real consequence of how climate change impacts rainfall patterns is that it can be a challenge to charge her electric riding lawn mower and to cut the soggy lawn at times of year when the grass is growing the fastest!
We also have been keeping records of thunder & lightning intensities since 2005 -- that began after the previous owner of the house experienced 2 lightning strikes which fried 2 inverters in 2 years, despite having everything grounded. The dogs also let us know when brewing storms are going to be serious and they say "woof, climate change sucks."
| YEAR | WINDSOR TOTAL RAIN (mm) |
 |
| 1996 | 2138 | |
| 1997 | 1160 | |
| 1998 | 1893 | |
| 1999 | 1426 | |
| 2000 | 1943 | |
| 2001 | 1858 | |
| 2002 | . | |
| 2003 | . | |
| 2004 | 1947 | |
| 2005 | 2135 | |
| 2006 | 1623 | |
| 2007 | 1905 | |
| 2008 | 1613 | |
| 2009 | 975 | |
| 2010 | 1746 | |
| 2011 | 1643 | |
| 2012 | 1221 | |
| 2013 | . | |
| 2014 | . | |
| 2015 | . | |
| 2016 | 2150 | |
| 2017 | 2071 | |
| 2018 | 1535 | |
| 2019 | 1491 | |
| 2020 | 1391 | |
| 2021 | 1919 |
El Niño Effects
2014 and 2015 have been notable for their wetter-than-normal winter "dry" seasons and prolonged droughts in the summer. Frustratingly for us,
we lost almost all rain data for Windsor in 2013 and 2014 😢 . . . but we're back on-track now since May 2015.
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