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Chill Might Not Be That Big

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

A bicyclist glides past the sun as it rises over the southern end of Davis Islands this morning.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 18, 2007

TAMPA - Temperatures may not drop as low as expected this morning, but it's still a chilly start to the day.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures in Tampa to fall into the 30s, with a wind chill near freezing.

For Hernando County, the weather service issued a freeze warning, expecting lows to drop below freezing for three hours or longer.

Temperatures at Tampa International Airport hit 43 degrees about 1 a.m., when winds diminished to about 5 mph. Since then, temperatures have risen slightly as wind picked up.

Still, the wind chill is about 39 in Tampa.

In Lakeland, temperatures were in the low 40s, with a calm wind, actually a few degrees higher than about 9 p.m. Monday.

Temperatures in Brooksville bottomed out at 31 degrees about 1 a.m. but rose to 40 as the wind increased.

Even a light wind can mix the air and keep temperatures from falling by stirring cooler air near the ground with slightly warmer air above. With a bit more wind than forecasters expected, temperatures stabilized after midnight rather than continuing to fall.

This is the last of the real chill for a while, and nights through the rest of the week are expected to be in the 40s north of Tampa and 50s in Tampa and to the south.

Daytime highs will reach the 70s after today, about normal for this time in December.

There's also a small shot at some rain by Thursday.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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