Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For Tampa Bay Area

TAMPA, FL — Sunshine, blue skies and daily highs in the low 80s might make the Tampa Bay area the envy of the country as winter storms continue to pummel some regions. Even so, forecasters at the National Weather Service are warning that conditions might not be as perfect as they seem.

The agency issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook report for the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning. The report covers such counties as Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota.

First up on the warnings is the continued appearance of dense fog in the overnight and early morning hours. Visibility in some parts of West Central Florida on Wednesday morning was less than a quarter mile. That fog could make a return in such areas as Sarasota and Lakeland Thursday morning.

For those who do run into patches of fog, the weather service is warning them to slow down. Only low-beam lights should be used, and motorists are urged to keep a good distance between their vehicles and others on the road.

A cold front that’s expected to move into the region Thursday should bring cooler temperatures along with it. It may also create conditions on local waters that could be hazardous for small craft operators. The weather service says winds from the northwest and north could blow up to 25 knots while seas could reach 13 feet in some areas over the next few days.

Rain is back in the cards on Thursday as the cold front moves through. The chances for rain are expected at 30 percent or so in much of the region during the afternoon and early evening hours. Once the front clears the area, forecasters expect Friday to shape up with sunny conditions and a high only in the low 60s. The overnight low Friday is anticipated to be in the brisk low 40s.

As for the New Year’s holiday, forecasters expect New Year’s Eve to start off with sunny skies and a high in the low 70s. The overnight low should drop into the upper 50s. Mostly sunny skies are forecast for New Year’s Day with a high once again climbing into the upper 70s to low 80s.

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

Photo by Dorothy Finley via Flickr used under Creative Commons