Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed due to high winds; storms expected overnight
TAMPA, Fla. - High winds have already closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and our windy afternoon will give way to a stormy night tonight across Central Florida, forecasters warn.
It’s all thanks to the same cold front that’s brought snow to the Great Plains and tornados in the South. That front will sweep through Florida tonight, bringing storms with it here, too.
The Florida State Fair, which opened today, closed early at 5 p.m. due to the potential for severe weather.
"Patron safety is our #1 priority," the fair tweeted. "Therefore due to the inclement weather and high winds predicted, the Florida State Fair will close at 5 p.m. this evening."
Gusts out of the southwest could top 40mph, leading to minor flooding along the coast, FOX 13 meteorologist Dave Osterberg warned.
Advisories for wind and coastal flooding are in place for the Bay Area, and a gale warning is in effect off the coast. Citrus County is the only Bay Area county included in a tornado watch to the north.
“We’ve got a lot of wind to get through in the next 24 hours,” Osterberg offered.
The line of storms will then follow, arriving overnight. The strongest storms will be to the north, but the biggest threat to the Bay Area should be high winds, and isolated tornadoes are possible.
“Tonight, showers and thunderstorms come screaming through the area,” Osterberg added. “I think for a lot of us, between the wind and the storms, it may wake you up.”
Florida State University in Tallahassee announced that the main campus would close at 12:15 p.m. Thursday due to the weather threat. In Citrus County, all public school after-school activities are canceled, including the science fair awards ceremony.
Behind the cold front, we can expect clearing skies on Friday but falling temperatures. Temperatures won’t make it out of the 60s on Saturday, and could dip into the 40s that night. But a quick warmup will begin on Sunday.
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