TAMPA, Fla. – Residents across the Tampa Bay area should keep their jackets handy and their plants covered this weekend, as the region faces a sharp mix of frosty mornings, a brief warmup, and a wet cold front ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The chill has already settled in today, with sunny skies doing little to combat a high near 59 degrees and wind chills that dipped into the upper 30s earlier this morning. Conditions will remain crisp tonight, dropping to around 39 degrees. Those waking up early Saturday should expect patchy frost, particularly in inland areas, before 7 a.m.
Saturday offers a temporary reprieve. After the frosty start, temperatures are expected to rebound significantly, reaching a pleasant high near 71 degrees with calm winds shifting from the southeast.
READ: Hillsborough County Traffic Alert: Major Road Work And Lane Closures Expected Jan 18-24
However, the warmup is short-lived. Clouds will gather Saturday night, bringing a 20 percent chance of showers after 1 a.m. By Sunday morning, rain chances increase to 40 percent, with showers likely before 1 p.m. as a new front pushes through. While Sunday will see a high near 62, winds will pick up from the north-northwest, gusting as high as 18 mph.
The coldest air of the week arrives Sunday night. Temperatures are forecast to plummet to a low of 33 degrees, bringing widespread patchy frost after 1 a.m.
For the holiday on Monday, the forecast calls for a bright but biting start. Areas of frost are expected before 8 a.m., giving way to a sunny M.L. King Day with a high near 58.
Looking ahead to next week, the area begins a slow thaw. Tuesday will be mostly sunny with a high of 62, followed by a jump to 70 degrees by Wednesday and 75 by Thursday, though rain chances may return late in the week.
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