Isolated Tornadoes, Severe Storms: Tampa Bay’s Weekend Forecast

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay area’s streak of sunny days is expected to go out with a bang over the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, a front approaching the area is expected to bring strong-to-severe thunderstorms with the potential for tornadoes along with it.

The weekend won't be a total washout though. Friday is expected to kick things off with partly sunny skies and a high in the upper 70s to low 80s in much of the region. Patchy fog could move back in during the overnight hours, which has forecasters warning motorists to take care on area roads. The nighttime low is expected to fall into the mid-60s.

Saturday is anticipated to arrive with lingering fog in the morning hours. Sunny, but breezy conditions are expected during the daytime hours when the high should once again climb to about 80 degrees.

Conditions are expected to take a turn for the worse Saturday night when the chance for thunderstorms rises to about 40 percent. The overnight low, however, should only drop into the upper 60s in much of the region.

Sunday is forecast to be a good day to stay indoors. There’s a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms in the cards for much of the region with windy conditions anticipated. The daytime high will climb into the upper 70s. Thunderstorms are expected to stick around into the night when the low should drop into the low 70s.

“The best chances for strong to severe thunderstorms will be Sunday and Sunday night,” forecasters warned in Friday’s Hazardous Weather Outlook report. “Although a few strong storms could develop before that.”

The strongest storms that move through the region are expected to bring hail, frequent lighting strikes, damaging winds and “isolated tornadoes and waterspouts,” the report warned.

Considering the potential for severe weather, forecasters are also issuing warnings for the region’s coastal areas. Rip currents are concern Saturday through Tuesday. Small craft operators are being warned of winds up to 33 knots Sunday and Monday with “gusts to gale force possible.” Seas could increase to 15 feet offshore, forecasters say.

Storms are expected to persist through the start of the workweek with a 60 percent chance of rain forecast for Monday. The day’s high is anticipated to only climb to the upper 60s to low 70s. Forecasters expect storms will move along during the nighttime hours to make way for a sunny Tuesday with a high in the low 70s.

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

Patch file photo