Warmer weekend weather a welcome change after chilly stretch

The days of cold weather, sweaters and thick blankets will soon be behind us. For now, at least.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Manatee County dealt with freeze warnings overnight, but the National Weather Service predicts weather to be much more pleasant than the impact of an arctic blast Bradenton has dealt with for the last couple of days.

Saturday is expected to have a high of 68 degrees, with partly sunny skies. At night, the temperature is predicted to drop to around 55. Sunday will be a bit warmer. Forecasters say it will be mostly sunny and around 74 degrees in the daytime, with a low of 59.

The warm weather trend continues into Monday, which is expected to see a high of 75. There’s a 20 percent chance the area will see showers at night when the temperature drops to 61.

Forecasts predict slight chances of rain Wednesday and Thursday, as well. Both days should see highs around 70 and lows near 57.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Warmer weekend weather a welcome change after chilly stretch."