000 
WWUS82 KTBW 230238
SPSTBW

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
936 PM EST SAT JAN 22 2005

...VERY COLD MORNING LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKELY ON MONDAY...

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-232300-
CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE-
LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER-
936 PM EST SAT JAN 22 2005

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT...MOVE THROUGH THE TAMPA METRO AREA AROUND 4 AM...THEN
THROUGH FORT MYERS AROUND 7 AM. A FEW SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY THE COLD
FRONT...BUT THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED.

ONCE THE COLD FRONT PASSES...WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND
INCREASE TO 20 MPH...ALONG WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OVER THE GULF COASTAL
WATERS... WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35
KNOTS. BOATERS ARE ADVISED TO POSTPONE ANY PLANNED SUNDAY BOATING
TRIPS AS SEAS ARE FORECAST TO QUICKLY BUILD TO 10 FEET OR HIGHER
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

THE HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR SUNDAY WILL ACTUALLY OCCUR JUST AFTER
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WHEN READINGS WILL RANGE FROM 60 TO PERHAPS 65
DEGREES IN PLACES. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL
SHARPLY...REACHING THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 30S OVER LEVY COUNTY BEFORE
SUNRISE SUNDAY...AND RANGING TO AROUND 50 CENTRAL SECTIONS...TO THE
UPPER 50S SOUTHWEST. DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL
HOLD STEADY FOR MOST OF THE DAY OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS...BUT
RECOVER INTO THE 40S OVER THE NORTH. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET AFTER
SUNSET ON SUNDAY...REACHING THE FREEZING MARK BY 7 PM OR SO IN LEVY
COUNTY AND BEFORE MIDNIGHT ELSEWHERE FROM PASCO COUNTY NORTHWARD.
EVEN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS WILL DROP BELOW FREEZING...WITH
HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK HITTING 32 DEGREES BY 2 AM MONDAY WHILE THE
REMAINDER OF THE REGION TO THE SOUTH REACHES 32 BY 4 AM. AREAS ALONG
THE IMMEDIATE COASTLINE MAY ALSO SEE TEMPERATURES NEAR OR JUST BELOW
FREEZING BY MONDAY MORNING.

AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY MORNING WILL BOTTOM
OUT AROUND 17 IN LEVY...CITRUS...AND HERNANDO COUNTIES. PASCO AND
SUMTER COUNTIES WILL FALL TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25 DEGREES...WHILE THE
REMAINDER OF THE REGION WILL SEE LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE AND
UPPER 20S AWAY FROM THE COAST...AND NEAR 30 OR SO CLOSE TO THE COAST.

IN ADDITION... A NORTHWEST TO NORTH WIND MAY PRODUCE WIND CHILL
READINGS FROM THE TEENS TO MID 20S ACROSS ALL OF WEST FLORIDA BY
MONDAY MORNING. 

RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE ACTION ON SUNDAY TO PROTECT ANY TENDER PLANTS
AS THEY WILL NOT LIKELY SURVIVE THIS FREEZE. PETS SHOULD BE AFFORDED
ADEQUATE SHELTER OR BROUGHT INDOORS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
UPDATES.

&&

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

$$

JILLSON