TAMPA, Fla. — Residents across West Central and Southwest Florida should prepare for a sharp drop in temperatures tonight as a Canadian high-pressure system builds over the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Ruskin has issued a Cold Weather Advisory effective from midnight Tuesday night until 9 a.m. Wednesday, warning of bone-chilling conditions just before the New Year.
The incoming air mass is bringing significantly colder and drier air, sending temperatures plummeting well below average. Lows tonight are expected to range from 28 degrees across the Nature Coast to around 40 degrees in southern counties. While coastal areas will remain slightly warmer, gusty north winds will make it feel much colder.
According to the NWS, wind chill values—the temperature it actually feels like on exposed skin—are forecast to drop into the mid-20s in northern areas, the upper 20s in central Florida, and the lower 30s to the south…