Tampa is waking up to a cloudy, very muggy start this Sunday, March 8, with temperatures hovering around 71°F and dew points near 70°F making the air feel downright sticky. Skies should brighten by late morning, and the high tops out near 85°F this afternoon. Isolated pop-up showers or a stray thunderstorm are possible between about 3 and 5 p.m. Patchy fog may hang on into early Monday, so plan a little extra time on low-lying roads.
Afternoon Rain And The Ride Home
A weak sea breeze teaming up with daytime heating could fire off isolated to scattered inland showers this afternoon, roughly in the 3 to 5 p.m. window. Most neighborhoods stay dry, but any storm that does form can drop brief heavy rain, kick up lightning and knock down visibility fast enough to snarl the 3 to 6 p.m. commute. It is a continuation of the earlier March 2 heads-up.
Hot Midweek, Front Thursday
Temperatures jump into the upper 80s Monday through Wednesday, with some interior spots flirting with 90°F and record highs possible each day, according to the National Weather Service. The pattern flips late in the week as a cold front pushes through on Thursday, March 12, bringing a higher chance of showers and storms around 60% in many areas and gusty west-southwest winds that could reach the low 20s mph ahead of the front.
Boaters And Morning Fog
Mariners should keep an eye out for developing sea fog and a late-week bump in winds, with conditions briefly approaching small-craft-advisory levels as the front slides by. For most outdoor plans, your best bet is late morning to early afternoon when skies are sunniest, and it would be wise to keep an umbrella within reach for those fast-moving afternoon downpours.
