Cold weather expected to stick around

TAMPA - It may not be as bad as what people up north are dealing with, but the Bay Area woke up to some pretty chilly temperatures this morning.

Around 4 a.m. most of the current temperatures across the area were in the 50’s. However, by 6 a.m. those temperatures had dropped to the 40’s as the cool weather continued to blow in.

But that was just the beginning of what the latest cold front is expected to bring. The coldest weather of the week is expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with a low temperature forecasted to be around 35 degrees.

“Temperatures will remain on the cool side for the next week,” said FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber. “The coldest of the weather will probably only last a night or two but there’s no big warm up expected over the next week.”

While no freeze warnings are expected with this cold snap – the temperatures have dipped low enough for several counties to open cold weather shelters. So far Pinellas and Pasco counties have announced plans to open shelters tonight and more are expected to follow suit.

“If you have delicate plants, it would be a good night to cover those up or bring them in,” said Weber. “It would also be a good night to bring in the pets.”