Best Christmas Weekend Weather: Tampa Bay’s Got It In 2016

TAMPA, FL — As folks in the Rockies and Midwest prepare for the arrival of a “significant storm system” that promises to dump heavy snowfall and deliver strong winds, Tampa Bay area residents are in for a Christmas weekend of sunshine and blue skies. According to the National Weather Service, the next few days should be quite warm and maybe just a bit steamy.

Friday is expected to kick things off as the “coolest” day of the holiday weekend. The day’s high is expected to reach the upper 70s to low 80s with mostly sunny conditions on tap. The overnight hours should bring partly cloudy skies and a low in the low 60s.

Partly cloudy skies are expected to kick off Christmas Eve Saturday. Weather service forecasters expect the high temperature to climb to about 82 degrees throughout much of the Tampa Bay area on Dec. 24. Mostly cloudy skies are expected in the overnight hours with a low in the mid- to upper 60s forecast.

Sunday is expected to shape up to be the envy of the country (at least for those who aren’t wishing for a white Christmas). Forecasters at the weather service say the day’s high should reach about 83 degrees with mostly sunny conditions expected. Over at The Weather Channel, forecasters are predicting even balmier conditions. Their forecasters say Tampa Bay’s Christmas Day high should reach about 86 degrees. It could be a little on the sticky side with the humidity level forecast to reach about 69 percent.

Christmas night, forecasters expect partly cloudy skies to return. The low Sunday is expected to only fall into the upper 60s.

Forecasters don’t anticipate strong chances for rain throughout the holiday weekend. Even so, a drop or two could fall within the region before the holidays pass.

Rain, in fact, doesn’t play a significant role in the forecast heading well into next week. Forecasters expect highs in the 80s to stick around through Thursday, at least. A sharp drop in temperatures is anticipated on Friday, Dec. 30. The Weather Channel’s forecasters say that day’s high might only reach the upper 60s in much of the region.

Meanwhile, folks in other parts of the country are in for a brisk holiday weekend. Here’s a look at what the weather service is expecting for Christmas Day highs in a few cities across the country outside of Florida:

• Detroit, Michigan – 37 degrees
• Chicago, Illinois – 41 degrees
• Portland, Oregon – 39 degrees
• Billings, Montana – 17 degrees
• Los Angeles, California – 59 degrees
• Boston, Massachusetts – 41 degrees
• New York, New York – 45 degrees

For an extended forecast in your neighborhood, visit your local Patch’s homepage.

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