Record low set in Tampa after last week's heat wave

Too hot. Too cold. But maybe soon, just right for some.

After record-high temperatures for October, Tampa Bay saw a record low overnight in Tampa.

It's not unusual for big swings in temperatures this time of year, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Juli Marquez.

"It's October. It happens," she said.

A record low of 48 degrees was recorded at Tampa International Airport early Monday, smashing the old mark of 51 set in 1927. Readings in St. Petersburg and Bradenton hovered near 56 degrees, flirting with the old record of 54 — also set in 1927.

It's a stark contrast with last week, when record-low temperatures hit record highs and daytime highs simmered in the 90s. It was the third-hottest October start ever.

The average low temperature for mid October is in the upper 60s.

Marquez said temperatures should be as low Tuesday morning in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, but they could be in the lower 50s in Pasco and Hernando.

Temperatures should rise by week's end as a departing area of high pressure that had been ushering in cool, dry northerly winds will move east and allow warmer winds off the Atlantic Ocean into the area.