Rain Back in Tampa Bay Area’s Forecast

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents not ready to put away their T-shirts and shorts after the weather warmed up over the Thanksgiving weekend are in luck. Forecasters at the National Weather Service say the region is in for a mostly balmy week ahead, but the possibility of rain is also on the horizon after a long dry streak.

Monday is expected to kick off the workweek with mostly sunny conditions and a high around 80 in the Bay area and surrounding counties. As the day wears on, there’s a 30 percent chance of showers in the Tampa area and a 20 percent chance further south in Sarasota. Rain chances persist into the evening hours throughout the region when the overnight low is expected to drop into the mid-60s.

Tuesday may kick off with patchy fog in some areas, but it’s expected to burn off with the sun. During the daytime hours, mostly sunny conditions are forecast in the region with a high in the low 80s. A partly cloudy night is expected with a low in the upper 60s.

The warming trend is expected to continue heading into Wednesday. Mostly sunny skies are expected with a high in the low 80s. Overnight, rain chances move back into the picture. The low is anticipated to drop to the upper 60s.

Rain is again possible on Thursday with a 20 percent chance forecast in the Tampa area. Chances for showers are a bit higher in places like Lakeland and Sarasota. The high is anticipated to only reach the upper 70s. Forecasters expect any showers to clear out in the overnight hours when the low should fall into the low 60s.

Forecasters expect mostly sunny conditions on Friday, but a daytime high only in the mid-70s. The overnight low is anticipated to fall into the upper 50s. Those cooler temperatures are expected to stick around throughout much of the weekend with slight rain chances in the forecast for Sunday.

While severe weather isn’t anticipated, forecasters do warn about the potential for early morning fog in some areas. Red tide also remains a concern in coastal areas, such as Sarasota.

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

Patch file photo