Canadian air mass could drop temps in Bradenton to coldest yet this winter, NWS says

Robyn Murrell
·2 min read

Back-to-back cold fronts could make for the coldest weekend so far on the Suncoast and Manatee County with near-freezing temperatures possible.

After a low of 37 recorded at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on Monday, a slow-moving system will keep the area cloudy and cold most of this week.

Thursday will feel more like normal with a high of 71, but rain and a Canadian air mass is forecast to chill things back down to the chilliest winter weather seen so far this year.

Another strong low-pressure system and cold front will move across Florida, bringing rain late Friday into Saturday, said Keily Delerme, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa.

By Saturday night, the air mass is forecast to bring colder and drier air, dropping temperatures in the low 40s to mid 30s, similar to last weekend.

Near the coast in Manatee and Sarasota counties, temperatures could fall into the mid-30s by Sunday, while interior areas like Hardee and Desoto counties are expected to drop into the low 30s.

Sunday into Monday morning, it likely won’t warm up much, with coastal area temperatures dropping as low as 34 degrees on Sunday and rising a little to 36 degrees on Monday.

“If we get down below freezing or near freezing in Manatee, then it will be the coldest we’ve seen thus far this winter,” Delerme said.

As of Tuesday, the Climate Prediction Center has Manatee temperatures above normal and not freezing.

Bradenton forecast

  • Wednesday: A 30% chance of showers, mainly before 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Northeast wind 6-10 mph.

  • Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northeast wind around 11 mph.

  • Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. North northeast wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

  • Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. North northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.

  • Friday: Showers likely, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

  • Friday night: A 40% chance of showers before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Windy, with a north northwest wind 11 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

  • Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Windy, with a north northwest wind 20 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

  • Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a north wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

  • Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 56. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

  • Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

  • Monday: Sunny, with a high near 66.

  • Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

  • Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

— National Weather Service Tampa as of Wednesday afternoon