Chicago Sun Times June 24 2004
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- License plates proclaim Florida the Sunshine State, but the National Weather Service says when it comes to catching rays, it comes in a distant sixth.
Arizona ranks at the top, followed by California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, according to the weather service.
Florida has more days where 20 to 70 percent of the sun is blocked by clouds than anywhere else in the continental United States, weather officials said. Experts said warm water surrounding the state, high humidity and a long rainy season make for cloudy skies.
''We ought to call ourselves the Partly Cloudy State instead of the Sunshine State,'' said Miami-based meteorologist Jim Lushine. ''But it probably wouldn't get the Chamber of Commerce's vote.''
But there is a bright side -- southern Florida is consistently warmer than anywhere else in the continental United States, officials said. Over a year, Key West has a mean temperature of 78.1 degrees.
Outside of Florida, the only place that comes close is Yuma, with 75.3 degrees. Most of the nation hovers between the 50s and 60s. AP
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