Fall Arrives: Tampa Bay’s Weather Didn’t Get the Memo

TAMPA, FL — It’s officially that time of year when pumpkin spice everything takes over local restaurants and grocery stores. While Halloween displays have already gone up in retail shops throughout the Tampa Bay area (and Christmas reminders are sure to soon follow), Mother Nature doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that fall has officially arrived.

Partly sunny skies are in the forecast for Thursday, Sept. 22, the first official day of the season. The day's high is expected to climb to about 90 degrees in much of the region. In the overnight hours, partly cloudy skies will be capped off with a low that only reaches the mid-70s.

Rain isn’t a strong possibility Thursday, but it also isn’t out of the question. Forecasters say dry air in the northern part of the Tampa Bay area could limit thunderstorms rather well. In the southern part of the region, chances for storms are slightly higher.

See also: Fall Forecast 2016: Tampa Bay Should Be Warmer with One Eye on the Atlantic

While not exactly fall like, Friday is expected to be a little cooler. Forecasters say a mostly sunny day is in store with a high in the upper 80s. The overnight low is expected to fall into the mid-70s yet again.

Saturday does bring stronger rain chances back into the picture along with a high expected to break the 90-degree mark in much of the Tampa Bay area. Scattered storms remain in the cards in the overnight hours and return on Sunday.

So, when are temperatures in the region expected to come in at less than that high-80s to low-90s range?

According to The Weather Channel, not for some time.

Forecasters at the network anticipate daily highs in the Tampa area to remain in the high 80s to low 90s throughout the rest of September and into the first week of October. That tracks fairly well historically for September. The historical monthly average high temperature in the region is 89 degrees in September, according to The Weather Channel. October’s average high is 84 degrees while November is a more comfortable 78.

For folks eager to see daytime temperatures down in the 60s, AccuWeather says they should arrive in December. That agency, however, still anticipates most days in December will bring highs in the low to mid-70s.

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

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