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Florida ranks 6th among nation’s sunniest states

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 is at the top, followed by California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Florida has more days where 20 percent to 70 percent of the sun is blocked by clouds than anywhere else in the continental United States, weather officials said. Weather experts said warm water surrounding the state, high humidity and a long rainy season make for cloudy skies. No need for statewide glumness, though – southern Florida is consistently warmer than anywhere else in the continental United States, weather officials said. Over the course of a year, Key West has a mean temperature of 78.1 degrees. Outside Florida, the only place that comes close is Yuma, with 75.3 degrees. Most of the nation hovers between the 50s and 60s.