Tuesday, March 26, 2013
When the temperatures drop in the Tampa Bay area, how do you brave the outdoors? We’d like to get your take, Tampa Bay!
As temperatures dip throughout the Tampa Bay area to possible record-breaking lows for March, we’re wondering this: When it’s cold outside, do you pull out those sweaters and parkas to bundle up like an arctic explorer, or do you shrug it off and keep wearing shorts and T-shirts? Florida winters are quite often a matter of debate. Since snow is about as rare here as finding a Twinkie in a grocery store, there’s often no visible evidence of “the cold.” Sure, we get frost, and sometimes a hard freeze, but they don’t tend to last long. Even so, opinions about the cold can vary. Talk to recent transplants from the north and chances are you’ll find them laughing at Florida natives who pull out the extra blankets to brave a single night of cold…
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
A cold front is bringing lots of rain to the Tampa Bay area as voters line up at the polls.
Showers and even a few downpours are likely as voters line up at the polls throughout the Tampa Bay area this morning. “There’s a little cold front moving through right now,” explained Todd Barron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office. Thanks to that, Bay area residents can expect “light to moderate showers from Sarasota up through Pasco.” There’s good news for voters who plan to cast their ballots later in the day though. “All this rain is moving through pretty quickly,” Barron said. “It should be out of the area by early to mid-afternoon.” While rain has been heavy off and on throughout the morning, it doesn’t seem to be deterring people from turning out at the polls. In fact, people turned out early in …
Sunday, August 26, 2012
While Isaac’s center will pass to the west of the region, forecasters are anticipating a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet.
It’s becoming less and less likely Tampa Bay will take a direct hit from Isaac as it makes its way north through the Gulf of Mexico. Even so, forecasters say the Bay area isn’t out of the danger zone just yet. The tropical storm, which is expected to reach hurricane strength sometime later today, is anticipated to bring a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet to the Tampa Bay area. It’s also likely Isaac will bring heavy rain, gusty winds and the potential for isolated tornados as it moves through the area. “Even though the center should be offshore, (we) should get several inches of rain,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Fleming. From Sarasota up to Pasco County, “across that whole area, 4 to 8 inches (of rain is possible) …
The latest computer models place Tampa Bay communities outside the cone of uncertainty. But a slight shift in Isaac's path could change its course again.
Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are under a tropical storm warning, though Tampa Bay appears to be out of the cone of uncertainty, according to the National Weather Service. At midnight Saturday, the storm crawled along the Cuban coast at about 17 mph, with winds at 60 mph. The storm is trending west, as it marches toward the Florida Keys. Isaac is expected to reach Category 1 hurricane strength as it nears the Keys and churns over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. But National Weather Service maps now place the storm farther west than previously anticiapated, with Tampa Bay communities out of the cone of uncertainty – at least for now. The storm's winds and rainfall extend for some 200 miles from the center of …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The tropical storm is still on track to reach the Tampa Bay area sometime Monday afternoon, just in time for the Republican National Convention.
Tropical Storm Isaac continues to stay on course to crash the Republican Party's National Convention in Tampa next week. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center predicts the storm will keep to a west-northwestward track for the next 48 to 72 hours and possibly reach Florida's Gulf Coast and the Tampa Bay area by around 2 p.m. Monday. The storm's structure suggests it will strengthen slowly, but conditions are favorable for "rapid intensification," forecasters warned. That means Isaac could reach hurricane strength at about the time it makes landfall in Hispaniola, in 24 to 36 hours. "It still has to interact with Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, and so we'll see how much that tears it apart," said Jennifer Colson, …
Current projections have the storm off the Tampa Bay coast in time for day two of the Republican National Convention.
The good news is that Tropical Storm Isaac’s projected forward moment has slowed somewhat overnight. The bad news is Tampa Bay is still in line with the storm’s path as it makes its way north into the Gulf of Mexico. While earlier projections anticipated the storm to be off the coast of Tampa Bay by about 8 p.m. on Monday, the latest forecast track has the storm arriving around 2 a.m. Tuesday. That is the second day of the Republican National Convention in downtown Tampa. Right now, the storm is southeast of the Dominican Republic and has maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Despite the projected path, National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Davis said it’s still too early to say for sure…
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The storm’s projected track has forecasters saying RNC planners and Bay area residents should keep their eyes and ears open.
Tropical Depression Nine is now Tropical Storm Isaac. While the storm is currently east of Puerto Rico, the five-day forecast puts it close enough to Florida that residents should be mindful of developments over the next few days, said Jennifer Colson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office. “We’re going to be monitoring it,” she said. “It’s too early to say” where it will go. The storm’s general direction, however, is cause for Tampa Bay area residents to start getting ready – just in case. With the Republican National Convention starting on Sunday with a kick-off party at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field, residents and convention goers need to be watching for updates. Residents should be “watching it, …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Tampa region isn’t out of the woods yet, National Weather Service meteorologists say.
Just because Tropical Storm Debby made landfall in northern Florida doesn’t mean the Tampa Bay area is completely out of the woods yet. According to Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office, the storm could still bring bad weather our way tonight and into the morning on Wednesday. “Tonight we’re still going to see rain bands in association with this,” he said. “Gusty winds and downpours; it’s not going to be continuous rain, just passing rain bands.” Debby made landfall in Steinhatchee this afternoon and is expected to clear the state some time tomorrow. Until she leaves, however, Reynes said Tampa Bay area residents should be on the lookout for bad weather. “We could see some strong rain bands and …
The storm is still projected to make landfall sometime tomorrow.
The National Hurricane Center has updated its project track for Tropical Storm Debby, and the news remains largely the same for the Tampa Bay area: The storm, though weakened, is still headed toward the Gulf Coast and Central Florida. As of 11 a.m., today, June 26, the entire Bay region remains under a tropical storm warning. This means "tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere within the specified area within 36 hours," according to the weather service. Counties affected include Sarasota, Pasco, Manatee, Pinellas and Hillsborough. Although Debby’s impact on most of the Tampa region is waning today, National Weather Service meteorologist Ernie Jillson said conditions could deteriorate later today. …
The tropical storm warning remains in effect as Debby moves closer to Florida’s west coast.
Those hoping to wake up to news that Tropical Storm Debby had sputtered out won’t get their wish. She’s still out in the Gulf, slowly making her way toward Florida’s west coast. While Debby remains a “weak tropical storm” Tuesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ernie Jillson, she is anticipated to dump at least 3 to 5 inches more rain on the Tampa Bay area over the next day or so. The good news is there “are no tornado watches in effect” for the Bay, Jillson said. Even so, that’s likely to change later today. “I would not be surprised to see one go up later today as the rain bands begin to increase,” he said. Debby’s current track forecast by the National Hurricane Center has her making landfall sometime on Wednesday…
Paul Allen
7:47 am on Thursday, March 28, 2013
This is my second winter in Florida. Last year it was warm most of the time. This year I had to break out the jeans, flannel shirt, socks and a coat. Can't wait for the nice weather to arrive and stay here! more ›