Good morning, Tampa Bay. Here’s what you need to know today.
Your Weather Planner
It will be chilly to start the day on Thursday with a freeze north of Tampa, but we will warm up a bit in the afternoon with plenty of sunshine.
Highs will be in the low to mid 60s.
Lows Thursday night into Friday morning fall to the 40s around Tampa Bay.
We will see some 30s north, but it will stay above freezing for the Nature Coast.
High: 64
Low: 44
Rain Coverage: 0%
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Around Tampa Bay
1. Businesses prep for a cold, windy Gasparilla
Officials say 300,000 people are expected to come out to Pirate Fest, bringing $20 million in economic impact.
2. St. Pete company tracks ships trying to avoid detection around the globe
Pole Star Defense, based out of the Maritime Defense and Technology Hub in St. Petersburg, uses innovative technology to track large cargo ships and oil tankers around the globe, including vessels trying to avoid detection, according to managing director Alex Field.
3. Gulf-effect snow in Florida — Is it possible?
There has been a lot of buzz online about the possibility of gulf-effect snow in Florida for late Saturday into Sunday morning. While there is a small chance of this happening, it will certainly be tough to produce.
4. Councilman pushes Rays to pay for new stadium; team CEO says partnership needed
Leaders in Hillsborough County could soon be asked to take a deeper look at the financial picture of building a baseball stadium in Tampa.
5. Florida cold snap causing car issues, according to AAA
Checking tires and car batteries is keeping mechanics busy this week.
Around the Nation
1. Man arrested in attack on Ilhan Omar has criminal history and made pro-Trump posts
2. DA seeks July trial in Luigi Mangione’s state murder case, with his federal trial slated for fall
4. Trump signals interest in easing tensions, but Minneapolis sees little change on the streets
Don’t Miss This
Quote of the Day
Almost four weeks after American military forces captured Nicolás Maduro and indicted the ousted Venezuelan leader in New York for drug trafficking, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. plans to “very quickly” open a diplomatic presence on the ground in Venezuela.
During a three-hour hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on U.S. policy toward Venezuela, Rubio said the embassy will allow the Trump administration to have real-time information and interact with interim government authorities as well as its opposition while working to transition the country to a functioning democracy.