TAMPA, Fla. — It's on its way! The first "cold" front of the fall will arrive this weekend.
It has been a long and hot summer across the Tampa Bay region, but now relief is in sight.
The cold front is currently moving across the Mississippi River Valley. As a trough begins to strengthen, the jet stream will dip further south allowing colder air to spill across the eastern half of the United States behind the cold front. Temperatures across the Great Lakes all the way down to Florida will see below-average temperatures Sunday into Monday. In fact, the northern Plains will see there first freezing temperatures of the season.
So what exactly can we expect in the Tampa Bay region?
This cold front will not bring "cold" temperatures but rather refreshing temperatures. Our average high is currently at 88 degrees and 73 for a low in Tampa. Highs and lows on Saturday will be right around normal.
The cold front will then sweep from north to south across the area Saturday night. That means by the time you wake up Sunday, the cooler and drier air will be here. Behind the front for Sunday into Monday, lows will be in the 60s with highs in the lower 80s!
It's been over five months since temperatures have been that cool. Dew points, which have been up in the 70s all summer, will drop down into the 50s. That is some much more comfortable humidity.
Don't expect much rain with this front. Outside of an isolated rain shower or two, most areas will stay dry. Higher rain chances are likely to return late next week.
Of course, this is the first of the season, so it won't be the strongest one we see. But this front marks the sign that we can look for more refreshing air to spill in from the north as October progresses.
