Manatee cold snap to last all weekend

MANATEE — It is forecast to be a sparkling turkey day, but residents might need to grab a coat for the rest of Thanksgiving weekend.

The good news is forecasters expect the rain to be out of the region by today, but the bad news is the wet weather paved the way for a cold snap that will drop temperatures into the 40s in Manatee County, according to the National Weather Service.

“It is going to be colder than normal for this time of year, but it is only going to last a couple of days,” said meteorologist Jennifer Colson.

Today will be a beauty, though, with highs in Manatee in the mid-70s and lows in the 60s.

Highs Friday will be in the mid-to-upper-60s. Then it will be time to turn on the heat Friday night, as a cold front will push through, bringing a high pressure system of cool and dry air.

Temperatures are forecast to drop into the upper 40s on the coast, and the low-to-mid-40s inland overnight Friday.

Saturday will remain chilly, with morning lows in the upper-40s and highs in the upper 60s.

On Sunday, the cold spell will begin to let up even though it will still be chilly in the morning with lows in the mid-40s.

The high Sunday is expected to climb to the mid-70s, leading to a week with temperatures reaching seasonal norms.

“It will be back to normal relatively fast,” Colson said.