TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay 28's Jason Adams has more about the first snow flurries seen in Tampa Bay since 2010, that's 16 years ago!
There's only one way to describe this weekend's weather... bonkers! From 50 mph wind gusts during Gasparilla to snow flurries for the first time since 2010 in our area to temperatures dropping well below freezing to highs struggling to reach the mid-40s today, this is one weekend we won't soon forget. Let's recap everything that happened!
Gasparilla. What a fantastic turnout! Approximately 300,000 people attended, despite a forecast calling for gusty winds and plummeting temperatures. We started the day with temps near 60. By 5 p.m., we had dropped into the 40s, and winds gusted 40-50 mph. We even had a brief heavy shower that made it feel even colder, but that didn't stop the pirates from invading the city and the party on Bayshore after, ha!
As that cold air was moving in, we had just enough moisture off the Gulf to produce some snow flurries! Those flurries initially started in Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco counties late yesterday afternoon. The next wave of flurries picked up from Pinellas Co south to Sarasota Co after 3 a.m., with flurries even reported down in Port Charlotte! No accumulation was expected, and we didn't have any surprises there. These were the first flurries we've had in the area since 2010. The excitement on some of the kids' and parents' faces seeing the flurries was fantastic!
The flurries were followed up by extremely cold temperatures on Sunday morning, with most areas seeing a freeze. Tampa dropped to 29°, which is our first freeze since Christmas 2022! Wind chills were brutal, with many spots in the low teens.
We're not done with those freezing temperatures yet. Another Freeze Warning has been issued for all but Pinellas Co for tonight into Monday morning. Pinellas may still experience frost or temperatures down to 32 in the northern part of the county, but with water temperatures at 60 in the Bay and Gulf, it's harder to drop temperatures here. By the way, our average low is 54°. We're 20°+ colder than that!
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for everyone, as wind chills will dip into the 20s. Make sure you and the family are bundled up when heading out to work and at the bus stop in the morning. It's going to be very cold!
Monday afternoon, temperatures will rise into the mid-50s, and while that is warmer than today, those highs are still well below the average of 72°!
