Will Winter Ever Come to Tampa Bay?

As forecasters continue to predict a Christmas Day so hot it will go down in the record books, chances are sweaty Tampa Bay area residents are finding themselves wondering if winter 2015 will ever arrive.

There’s good news and bad news on the horizon, according to the National Weather Service and The Weather Channel.

As for Christmas Day, it’s probably best to go ahead and pull out the shorts and festive T-shirts now. The National Weather Service anticipates the day’s high will climb to about 84 degrees. The Weather Channel has it pegged at an even balmier 87 degrees. The record, set in 1984, was 83 degrees for Dec. 25.

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That unseasonably warm trend is anticipated to continue through until New Year’s Eve, The Weather Channel predicts, with highs holding strong in the 80s until then.

While the stroke of midnight won’t usher in dramatically new weather conditions, Jan. 1, 2016, is predicted to deliver a high that’s a little more acceptable for Florida’s winter. As of Tuesday, forecasters anticipated New Year’s Day’s high would reach to about 76 degrees, which is still a bit higher than the norm. The news has the potential to get even better as that first week of the New Year continues. The Weather Channel anticipates Tampa’s highs will be in the low 70s with lows down in the 50s.

The forecast for the New Year, however, does get a bit fuzzy after the first few days. The historical “normal” temperature average for January is 60.8 degrees, according to weather service data. As recent history has shown, those days of average temperatures in the 60s may or may not materialize. El Nino, however, is still forecast to make itself known. The weather pattern is expected to bring lots of rain to Florida as winter rolls on.

See Also:

• Severe Storms, Tornadoes in Tampa Bay’s 2015-16 Winter Forecast
• Reminder: Full Moon Rises for Christmas 2015

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