It's 80 degrees today. By Saturday morning Tampa could wake up to 52, and inland neighborhoods to the upper 40s.
By Joseph Jackson | TAMPA (Nov. 9, 2026)
The short version
A strong cold front crosses Central Florida late Thursday into Friday, with a 30% to 40% chance of showers Thursday night.
Saturday is the cold day: Tampa near 52 at sunrise, upper 40s inland, and a high of only about 66.
Sunday warms into the low 70s, but north winds will chop up Tampa Bay.
Enjoy the 80s while they last. Monday is mostly sunny with highs in the low 80s, and the warm, dry pattern holds through Veterans Day on Wednesday.
Then the bottom drops out. Tampa Bay 28 meteorologist Greg Dee says a "potent" cold front sweeps across Central Florida late Thursday into Friday. It brings scattered showers Thursday night, a 30% to 40% chance, then clears out the moisture and opens the door to a much cooler Canadian air mass.
Saturday is the coldest day
Skies clear Friday night and temperatures fall fast. Dee's forecast has Tampa at about 52 degrees by sunrise Saturday, with inland spots in the upper 40s. Saturday's high is only about 66 under a north breeze. FOX 13 meteorologist Dave Osterberg says weekend highs will only reach the 60s, with overnight lows in the 40s for many communities.
Sunday is mostly sunny with highs in the lower 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Boaters, watch out: north winds behind the front mean chop on Tampa Bay.
Neither station's forecast calls for frost or a freeze in Tampa Bay.
What to do before Friday night
Bring pets inside, or give them a warm, dry spot. Pets used to 80-degree nights feel 48 quickly.
Cover or move tender potted plants if you live inland, where it will be coldest.
Check on older neighbors and anyone without reliable heat. Many Florida homes never run the heat until a night like this. Test yours before Friday.
Never heat a home with a grill, generator or gas stove.
FMNN will update this story if counties open cold-weather shelters.
Sources
Tampa Bay 28 (WFTS), Forecast: Mostly sunny. Highs in the low and mid 80s, Greg Dee, Nov. 9, 2026
FOX 13, Tampa weather: Cold front to drop temperatures this weekend, Nov. 9, 2026
Tampa Bay 28, Forecast: Big front in the extended forecast with much cooler air, Nov. 7, 2026
Photo: "Tampa Skyline" by Sonny SideUp, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped.
