Cold front could dip Bradenton temps into the low 50s for spring break, forecasters say
A cold front could make for chilly spring break nights and mornings next week, with overnight temperatures forecast into the low 50s by Wednesday in the Bradenton-Sarasota area.
National Weather Service Tampa Meteorologist Yidiana Zayas told the Bradenton Herald on Thursday that two cold fronts are forecast to pass through Florida on Friday and Monday of next week.
Friday’s cold front will pass quickly with little change in the temperature. The forecast high on Friday is 82 degrees, with a chance of rain and thunderstorms after 4 p.m.
While that front won’t do much, a stronger cold front expected to pass through on Monday could cause morning temperatures to plummet into the low to mid-50s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The colder weather shouldn’t last long, so your spring break trip to the beach should be full of sunshine.
The Bradenton area is experiencing its peak season for tourists, and School District of Manatee County is out for spring break next week.
As temperatures rise in the afternoons, there should be plenty of sunshine to go around.
“It’ll still be nice. The high temperatures during those days will be in the 70s,” Zayas said.
“The low temperatures will be overnight and early morning, like 7 a.m., then after 10 a.m. it’ll be nice during the day.”
Although a cold night and a nippy morning may not be what most expect during spring in Bradenton, Zayas said the temperatures are always average for this time of year, only a few degrees below normal.
Red tide is also something beachgoers and spring breakers should take into account. Levels remain high, according to the latest report Wednesday, causing respiratory irritation and coughing as well as dead fish.
Manatee County’s weather forecast
Friday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South southeast wind 8-13 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Friday night: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. West wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northwest wind 5-8 mph becomes light and variable after midnight.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 82. East-southeast wind 6-14 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Sunday night: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 70. Southwest wind 11-14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 14-18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday night: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Breezy.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy.
Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low of around 50.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 74. Breezy.
This story was originally published March 10, 2023 at 5:50 AM.
