February re-wrote the weather records for the Tampa Bay area, with a long streak of much-above normal temperatures caused by a strong upper level high pressure that parked over our region for weeks.

It was a huge change from January, which was below normal and brought the first freeze in years to much of the Tampa Bay area. January also had above normal rainfall.

February’s upper level high also capped off the atmosphere and prevented any wet weather systems from coming close. The exception was on Feb. 1, when much of the area received some rain, but that was it for the rest of the month!

Here are the monthly numbers:

TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 74.2  (10.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record breaking 70.8 in 1932

RAINFALL 2.71” (-0.10” BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 89 on 20th (ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH FOR FEBRUARY)

LOWEST TEMPERATURE  53 on 1st

 

ST. PETERSBURG ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 72.6 (+8.5 ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record, breaking 72.3 in 1932

RAINFALL 0.53” (-2.19 BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 85 on 20TH

LOWEST TEMPERATURE 56 on 3RD

 

ST. PETE/CLEARWATER AIRPORT

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 73.1 (+9.0 ABOVE NORMAL)

RAINFALL 1.55” (-1.47” BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 88 on 20TH

LOWEST TEMPERATURE  50 on 1ST

 

LAKELAND AIRPORT

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 72.8 (+9.5 ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record, breaking 71.6 in 1932

RAINFALL 1.78” (-1.22” BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 88 on 20th

LOWEST TEMPERATURE  49 on 1st

 

WINTER HAVEN

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 72.7  (+9.1 ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record, breaking 71.5 in 1949

RAINFALL 1.01” (-1.62” BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 88 on 20th

LOWEST TEMPERATURE 50 on 1ST

 

BROOKSVILLE

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 70.6 (+11.1 ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record, breaking 69.9 in 1927

RAINFALL 0.93” (-2.44 BELOW NORMAL)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 88 on 21st

LOWEST TEMPERATURE  40 on 1st

 

SARASOTA/BRADENTON

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 71.9 (+8.5 ABOVE NORMAL)

Warmest February on record, breaking 70.5 in 1959

RAINFALL 0.44” (-2.26”)

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 90 on 20th

LOWEST TEMPERATURE 49 on 1ST

 

Looking ahead to March, here are some climate facts for Tampa:

Normal high/low for the 1st  74/56

Normal high/low for the 31st  78/60

Normal Rainfall 3.03”

Hottest March Temperature 92 in 1907

Coldest March Temperature 29 in 1980