TAMPA, Fla. – Residents enjoying the mild start to the week should keep their umbrellas—and their winter coats—close at hand. The National Weather Service reports a turbulent shift is on the horizon for the Tampa Bay area, bringing a mix of rain, gusty winds, and a sharp drop in temperatures that could see the mercury dip near freezing by late Thursday.
For today, the region can expect a relatively calm but grey backdrop. Skies will remain mostly cloudy with a comfortable high near 70 degrees and a gentle north-northeast breeze. Conditions stay mild overnight with lows hovering around 54 degrees, offering little hint of the volatility approaching mid-week.
The pattern begins to break down Wednesday. While the day starts mostly cloudy with a high near 67, a system moves in by evening. Forecasters predict a 20 percent chance of scattered showers during the day, spiking to a 70 percent likelihood overnight. The heaviest rain is expected after 1 a.m., likely impacting the early Thursday commute…