Good morning, Tampa Bay. Here’s what you need to know today.

Your Weather Planner

Morning fog will mix out then skies will be mostly sunny.

Light southerly winds will become southwest.

Expect a warm afternoon with highs in the mid 70s near the coast to low 80s inland.

Some fog is possible Friday night with low temperatures in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

High: 81

Low: 64

Rain Coverage: 0%

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Around Tampa Bay

1. Upper Tampa Bay Trail closed as major culvert repair is underway
A popular stretch of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail in Hillsborough County is closed as crews begin a major, long-term repair to a damaged culvert.

2. St. Pete Gas Plant proposal window opens, critics want citizen-driven plan first
The city of St. Petersburg officially opened its 30-day proposal window this past Sunday to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District, as some community members have urged city council to reject the process and plan for the project first.

3. Pinellas County Schools now requires Level 2 background checks on all volunteers
With the new year comes some big changes for volunteers in Pinellas County Schools. The district is now requiring all volunteers to go through a Level 2 background screening, costing volunteers anywhere from $75 to $90.

4. Florida lawmakers consider foreign student cap
Florida lawmakers are considering measures that would restrict college admissions to non-U.S. citizens and immigrants who are “lawfully present” in the country. 

5. Bucs OC Josh Grizzard out after one season; 4 other coaches let go
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are parting ways with first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, along with others.
 

Around the Nation

1. Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon, authorities say

2. House passes bill to extend health care subsidies in defiance of GOP leaders

3. U.S. trade deficit shrinks to lowest level since 2009 

4. Crew-11 mission cut short after astronaut has medical issue

Don’t Miss This

Quote of the Day

This could be an unprecedented weekend for road favorites in the NFL playoffs, which open Saturday with the wild-card round.

Four road teams were favored at BetMGM Sportsbook as of Wednesday afternoon. Two of those games had 1-point spreads — Green Bay at Chicago and Buffalo at Jacksonville — so it’s possible the number of road favorites will be down to two when the games begin. The Packers-Bears line has bounced back and forth, but the Bills have been steady favorites over the Jaguars.