Tampa Bay weather to cool down for spring break

Next week, half a million Tampa Bay school children will be on spring break. And let’s not forget about the thousands of Florida college students, also on spring break.

Beaches, restaurants and hot-spot tourist locations will all probably be elbow-room only. But do not fear. When your child hits you with the inevitable, “I’m bored,” you can just take them outside. Forecasters are predicting a cool down that will make the week, for the most part, dry and comfortable.

A cold front on Friday will bring a slight chance of rain and a drop in temperatures for the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the sun will be shining as temperatures reach the low to mid 80s.

On Monday, when a second, stronger cold front moves through the area, rain chances increase to 60%. The National Weather Service’s forecast says showers are likely with possible thunderstorms.

By Tuesday, the temperatures will drop to a high near 70 degrees, the coolest temperature in weeks. Past the 7-day forecast, exact temperatures for the rest of the week become less certain. However, Jennifer Hubbard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office, said the area will likely be back in the 80s by the end of the week.

Over the past few weeks, temperatures have been scorching for this time of the year. A prolonged period of high pressure sitting over Florida was stopping any cold fronts from reaching the area, Hubbard said.

“We are now getting the chance for a couple of cold fronts to move through, so it’s just going to give us that reprieve,” she said.

Around this time of year, the average temperature is in the high 70s in Tampa, Hubbard said. This weekend’s temperatures will bring the area closer to normal, and on Tuesday the area will actually be below normal.

“The first one (cold front) will bring us down to where we should be, and then the second one will get us below,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard said you can’t rule out the possibility for another cool down or two in the next few weeks. However, the area is mostly transitioning away from cooler temperatures, she said.

While Monday may be a bit rainy, Hubbard said she anticipates the rest of the week will be dry. If you plan to head to the beach, Hubbard said to be aware of the red tide at Tampa Bay beaches. Wear sunscreen, she added. Despite a cool down, you can still burn in the Florida sun.