How long will this cold weather stick around Manatee County? What the forecast says

Jason Dill
·2 min read
1

Have you reached for a winter jacket the last couple of days in Manatee County?

Florida received a patch of cold air that dropped the typical balmy temperature throughout the state. In Bradenton, that meant sub-45 degree temperatures overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The coldest in the county? Myakka City, where it dropped to 42 degrees early Wednesday morning.

When will it warm up?

So when can visitors and residents expect to see warmer conditions? The weather service forecasts warmer temperatures will arrive in time for the weekend, starting Friday, when the forecast calls for a high around 80.

On Thursday, the forecast is for the mid-40s in the morning and mid-70s in the afternoon.

“After that, we’re back to our typical late fall or early winter where we’re in the 60s in the morning, but we’re still reaching the 80s in the afternoon for Friday and the weekend,” National Weather Service-Tampa Bay meteorologist Stephen Shiveley said.

A factor for the warm conditions ahead is when the cold front air starts pushing toward the east.

“It’s going to start making a huge difference,” Shiveley said.

What caused the recent cold weather?

A couple factors contributed to the mid-week cold spell in Manatee County and the greater Tampa Bay area.

Shiveley said it’s the time of the season where cold fronts push through. This particular one had strong northerly winds that brought cold air in for the area.

Also, it’s an El Niño year, meaning the area is wetter and colder than normal.

“So for this year, we should expect more of these cold fronts than we typically see in an average year,” Shiveley said.

El Niño causes the Pacific jet stream to move south and spread farther east, which leads to wetter conditions in the winter for the southern United States and drier conditions for northern U.S. states, according to the National Ocean Service’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Forecast for Bradenton and Tampa Bay area through the weekend

Thursday: Mostly sunny, high 76, low 62

Friday: Partly sunny, high 82, low 68

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, high 83, low 69

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, high 82, low 68