The Suncoast’s long stretch of summer-like weather is finally getting interrupted. Today stays warm and humid with highs near 90 and a 50% chance of afternoon storms along the coast, but a cold front arrives Saturday and changes everything behind it. Expect showers and thunderstorms as the front passes, then north-to-northeast winds that push the humidity out and drop Sunday’s highs into the upper 70s and lower 80s with overnight lows in the 60s.
Monday and Tuesday look like the payoff: sunny, dry and comfortable with breezy afternoons. It’s the kind of stretch that makes October and November the best-kept secret of living on the Suncoast, before the snowbirds and the holidays fill up the calendar. If you’ve been putting off an outdoor project, a Legacy Trail ride or a long beach walk, this is your window.
One important caveat for anyone heading to the water. Behind the front, winds of 20 to 30 knots will kick up Gulf seas as high as 12 feet offshore, and Small Craft Advisories are likely from Saturday into next week. Boaters should plan to stay at the dock. The tropical picture, at least, is calm: the National Hurricane Center sees no development in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf over the next seven days. What’s your plan for the first cool weekend of the season?
