Though the weather through much of this winter in Tampa Bay has remained rather warm, forecast models on Sunday evening projected one more arctic blast to move across west-central Florida by this weekend.
There are several unusual aspects of this particular cold spell that set it apart from a traditional period of cold weather for this part of the United States.
Early meteorological spring freeze threat
While freezing temperatures are already quite unusual for coastal and urban areas of Tampa Bay at any time of the year, the threat of a freeze after the beginning of Meteorological Spring (March 1), is almost unprecedented.
Only on a handful of occasions have temperatures dropped to or below 32 degrees after the beginning of March at any of the major reporting stations in the immediate Tampa Bay area.
Outside threat for a few flurries
Clouds and showers will accompany this early spring shot of arctic weather. As of Sunday evening, precipitation chances for Saturday, Saturday night, and Sunday stand at around 20%. Highs on Saturday will be limited to the middle and upper 50s, and could struggle to reach 50 degrees on Sunday.
On Saturday night, temperatures are forecast to drop as low as the middle 30s in Tampa Bay. Some forecast models actually forecast a freeze for the city. Due to the cold air mass, any precipitation that does occur could in fact fall in the form of snow flurries.
Stay informed of the situation
This potential early spring freeze is still days away and forecast could change as the week progresses. To keep up to date with the latest weather forecasts, visit the local National Weather Service website, the Storm Team 8 Facebook page, and Meteorologist Denis Phillips Facebook page.
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