Envy Of The Country: Tampa Bay Weekend Weather

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with northern friends and family might want to use this weekend as an opportunity to do a little gloating. While much of the country is hunkering down for snowfall and temperatures that may seem impossibly low to Florida natives, our region is in for sunshine, blue skies and highs in the 80s most days.

According to the National Weather Service, Friday will kick things off with sunny skies and a high in the upper 70s to low 80s in much of the region. Rain isn’t in the forecast. Partly cloudy skies will move in during the overnight hours when the low should fall into the mid-60s.

Forecasters anticipate Saturday to be near postcard perfect. Mostly sunny skies are expected with a high in the low 80s. Partly cloudy conditions are anticipated again in the overnight hours with a low in the upper 60s.

Sunday might end gloating chances for those who don’t appreciate rainfall. Forecasters say the day should start out with partly sunny skies with a high in the low 80s. Rain chances creep in during the afternoon hours at 30 percent or so and stick around into the nighttime hours. The overnight low is forecast to drop only to the upper 60s.

Unlike most of the country, however, hazardous weather isn’t anticipated in the Tampa Bay area over the weekend. Chicago, for example, is forecast to witness heavy snowfall Friday night with a low down around 23 degrees. In New York City, snowy, rainy conditions are anticipated over the weekend, but they’ll enjoy the possibility of a high in the 50s on Sunday. Folks in Billings, Montana, are in for a wild ride over the weekend with heavy snow in the forecast and an anticipated high of -1 on Saturday.

While Tampa Bay won't see conditions like Billings', New York's or Chicago's, that rain from Sunday is anticipated to stick around heading into the workweek. Forecasters anticipate fairly high chances for showers through Tuesday at least. Daily highs, however, should still reach the upper 70s to low 80s.

For an extended forecast in the Tampa Bay area (and more chances to brag), visit your local Patch’s homepage.

Patch file photo