TAMPA — Enjoy the 80s while they last. A strong cold front is due to sweep through Tampa Bay late Thursday into Friday, and it's bringing the coldest air of the season so far.
The timeline
Tuesday through Thursday stay dry and pleasant, with highs around 80 and rain chances close to zero. The front pushes across west-central and southwest Florida Thursday night and Friday with only a slight chance of a shower, mainly south of Tampa, according to the National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office.
Behind it, much colder and drier air pours in. The weather service expects temperatures about 10 degrees below normal Friday and through the weekend. Here's roughly what that looks like in Tampa, based on the Weather Service forecast and local TV forecasts:
- Friday: Breezy north to northwest winds, highs in the low 70s.
- Saturday: Highs struggling to reach the upper 60s, lows in the upper 40s to around 50.
- Sunday morning: Likely the coldest start, with lows in the 40s across much of the bay area.
Inland and north of the bay will run colder. The weather service says some inland parts of the Nature Coast, which includes Hernando and Citrus counties, could drop into the upper 30s Friday and Saturday nights. Coastal Pinellas will stay a few degrees milder.
It won't last long. Temperatures are expected to bounce back toward normal early next week as winds turn off the Atlantic, the weather service says.
What to do before Friday night
- Bring in or cover tender potted plants if you live inland or north of the bay, where upper-30s lows are possible.
- Give outdoor pets a warm, dry place to sleep Friday and Saturday nights.
- If you're heading out on the water Friday, expect stiffer north to northwest winds. The weather service expects them to stay below small craft caution levels.
- Check on older neighbors and relatives, especially anyone without reliable heat.
Will the cold slow down dengue?
Some, but not enough on its own. Tampa Bay is the center of Florida's record dengue outbreak, which spreads through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that thrive in warm weather.
“The lower temperature helps because the mosquitoes will be less active,” Dr. Nicole Iovine, UF Health's chief epidemiologist, told FOX 13. “So, 50 degrees, that's good. But as far as actually killing off the population, you need at least one night of a good freeze.”
That's not in the forecast for the bay. And the numbers are still high. Florida has confirmed 524 locally acquired dengue cases this year, according to Florida Department of Health figures reported by FOX 13. Hillsborough County accounts for 407 of them, Pinellas 80 and Pasco four.
Hillsborough has extended its local state of emergency through Thursday, Nov. 12, and mosquito control crews are stepping up aerial and ground spraying. Paolo Pecora, a senior environmental scientist with Hillsborough County Mosquito Management, told FOX 13 that targeted treatments have cut Aedes aegypti numbers by 97% in the East Lake area.
So keep doing the basics through the cool spell: dump standing water from flowerpots, buckets, tires and bins, wear long sleeves outdoors, and use a repellent with DEET or picaridin. Dengue symptoms include fever, severe headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and rash. Doctors recommend acetaminophen rather than ibuprofen or aspirin, which can raise the risk of bleeding, and immediate care for unusual bleeding, severe stomach pain or persistent vomiting.