Main article: Geography of the Tampa Bay area
Landsat 8 image of Tampa Bay Region
Topography
Tampa viewed from above.
Climate
Main article: Climate of the Tampa Bay area
Tampa's climate displays characteristics of a tropical climate, but is situated on the southern fringe of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa)
zone. Tampa's climate generally features hot summer days with frequent
thunderstorms in the summer (rain is less frequent in the fall and
winter), and a threat of a light winter freeze from November 15 through
March 5 caused by occasional cold fronts from the north. Average highs
range from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) year round, and lows 52 to 76 °F
(11 to 24 °C).[56]
Tampa's official recorded high has never hit 100 °F (37.8 °C) – the
all-time record high temperature is 99 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 5,
1985.[56]
Paddling on the Hillsborough River
Summer
Temperatures are warm to hot from around mid-May through mid-October, which roughly coincides with the rainy season. Summertime weather is very consistent from June through September, with daytime highs near 90 °F (32 °C), lows in the mid-70s °F (23–24 °C), and high humidity.Afternoon thunderstorms, usually generated by the interaction of the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes, are such a regular occurrence during the summer that the Tampa Bay area is recognized as the "Lightning Capital of North America". Every year, Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes, with several of these usually occurring in or around Tampa.[57] Because of the frequent summer thunderstorms, Tampa has a pronounced wet season, receiving an average of 26.1 inches (663 mm) of rain from June to September but only about 18.6 inches (472 mm) during the remaining eight months of the year. The historical averages during the late summer, especially September, are augmented by passing tropical systems, which can easily dump many inches of rain in one day. Tropical Storm Debby in 2012 dropped 8.57 inches (218 mm) of rain at Tampa International Airport on June 24, 2012 and amounts up to 10.36 inches (263 mm) was reported by a CoCoRaHS observer in NW Tampa.[58] Outside of the summer rainy season, most of the area's precipitation is delivered by the occasional passage of a weather front.[56]
The regular summertime afternoon thundershowers occasionally intensify into a severe thunderstorm, bringing heavy downpours, frequent lightning, strong straight-line winds, and sometimes hail.
August 2004: Hurricane Charley was forecast to make landfall in Tampa but veered east.
Tropical systems
Though it is affected by tropical storms every few years and threatened by tropical systems almost annually, Tampa has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since 1921.[59] That seemed about to change in 2004, when Hurricane Charley was forecast to make landfall near downtown Tampa, with potentially devastating effects for the entire region. The danger prompted the largest evacuation order for Pinellas County history[60] and the largest evacuation request in Florida since Hurricane Floyd five years before. But Charley never reached Tampa Bay. After paralleling Florida's southwest coastline, the storm swerved to the east and slammed into Punta Gorda instead.Winter
In the winter, average temperatures range from the low to mid 70s °F (21–24 °C) during the day to the low to mid 50s °F (10–13 °C) at night. However, sustained colder air pushes into the area on several occasions every winter, dropping the highs and lows to 15 °F (8 °C) or more below the seasonal averages for several days at a time. The temperature can fall below freezing an average of 2 to 3 times per year, though this does not occur every season.[61]Since the Tampa area is home to a diverse range of freeze-sensitive agriculture and aquaculture, hard freezes, although very infrequent, are a major concern. Since Tampa has some characteristics of a tropical climate, hard freezes (defined as below 28 °F (−2.2 °C)) happen rarely (every 5 to 20 years depending on location). The last officially recorded freeze at Tampa International Airport took place on the morning of January 13, 2011, when the temperature dropped to 31 °F (−1 °C).[62]
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Tampa was 18 °F (−8 °C) on December 13, 1962.[56] The last measurable snow in Tampa fell on January 19, 1977, with a total accumulation of 0.2 inches (0.5 cm). Three major freezes occurred in the 1980s: in January 1982, January 1985, and December 1989. The losses suffered by farmers forced many to sell off their citrus groves, which helped fuel a boom in subdivision development in the 1990s and 2000s.[63][64]
In January 2010, a prolonged cold snap was the longest stretch of cold weather in the history of Tampa.[65] Temperatures did not get above 49 °F (9.4 °C) for 5 days and there were freezes every night in northern Tampa for a week straight, causing significant damage to tropical foliage.
| [hide]Climate data for Tampa, Florida (Tampa Int'l), 1981−2010 normals,[a] extremes 1890−present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
95 (35) |
92 (33) |
86 (30) |
99 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.1 (27.3) |
82.3 (27.9) |
85.2 (29.6) |
88.2 (31.2) |
93.3 (34.1) |
94.8 (34.9) |
94.8 (34.9) |
94.4 (34.7) |
93.5 (34.2) |
90.8 (32.7) |
86.2 (30.1) |
82.4 (28) |
96.0 (35.6) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 69.9 (21.1) |
72.5 (22.5) |
76.3 (24.6) |
81.0 (27.2) |
87.2 (30.7) |
89.6 (32) |
90.1 (32.3) |
90.2 (32.3) |
88.9 (31.6) |
84.3 (29.1) |
78.0 (25.6) |
72.0 (22.2) |
81.7 (27.6) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 51.6 (10.9) |
54.4 (12.4) |
58.2 (14.6) |
63.0 (17.2) |
69.7 (20.9) |
74.8 (23.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
76.2 (24.6) |
74.5 (23.6) |
68.0 (20) |
60.3 (15.7) |
54.2 (12.3) |
65.1 (18.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 32.6 (0.3) |
37.0 (2.8) |
41.4 (5.2) |
48.8 (9.3) |
59.6 (15.3) |
68.3 (20.2) |
70.8 (21.6) |
71.7 (22.1) |
67.5 (19.7) |
53.2 (11.8) |
44.6 (7) |
36.1 (2.3) |
30.2 (−1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
38 (3) |
49 (9) |
53 (12) |
63 (17) |
66 (19) |
54 (12) |
40 (4) |
23 (−5) |
18 (−8) |
18 (−8) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 2.23 (56.6) |
2.81 (71.4) |
3.03 (77) |
2.03 (51.6) |
2.10 (53.3) |
6.68 (169.7) |
7.07 (179.6) |
7.77 (197.4) |
6.30 (160) |
2.26 (57.4) |
1.55 (39.4) |
2.47 (62.7) |
46.3 (1,176) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 12.7 | 15.9 | 16.0 | 12.2 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 104.6 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 74.9 | 73.0 | 71.8 | 69.0 | 69.8 | 74.4 | 76.6 | 78.4 | 77.6 | 74.2 | 75.0 | 75.0 | 74.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 199.9 | 202.7 | 267.5 | 299.1 | 314.5 | 277.8 | 265.3 | 249.5 | 223.0 | 233.9 | 201.7 | 191.6 | 2,926.5 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 61 | 65 | 72 | 78 | 75 | 67 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 66 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[66][67][68] Weather Channel[69] | |||||||||||||
Cityscape
Main article: Cityscape of Tampa, Florida
Tampa skyline panorama facing northwest.
Neighborhoods
Main article: Neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida
The city is divided into many neighborhoods, many of which were towns
and unincorporated communities annexed by the growing city. Generally,
the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Tampa, New Tampa, West Tampa, East Tampa, North Tampa, and South Tampa. Well-known neighborhoods include Ybor City, Forest Hills, Ballast Point, Sulphur Springs, Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park, Davis Islands, Tampa Palms, College Hill, and non-residential areas of Gary and the Westshore Business District.Architecture
Tampa displays a wide variety of architectural designs and styles. Most of Tampa's high rises demonstrate Post-modern architecture. The design for the renovated Tampa Museum of Art, displays Post-modern architecture, while the city hall and the Tampa Theatre belong to Art Deco architecture. The Tampa mayor Pam Iorio made the redevelopment of Tampa's downtown, especially residential development, a priority.[70] Several residential and mixed-development high-rises have been constructed. Another of Mayor Iorio's initiatives was the Tampa Riverwalk, a mixed use path along the Hillsborough River in downtown and Channelside (Channelside was recently approved[71] to undergo major renovations by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik along with other investors). Several museums are part of the plan, including new homes for the Tampa Bay History Center, the Tampa Children's Museum, and the Tampa Museum of Art.[72] Mayor Bob Buckhorn has continued these developments.Tampa is the site of several skyscrapers. Overall, there are 18 completed buildings that rise over 250 feet (76 m) high. The city also has 69 high-rises,[73] second only to Miami in the state of Florida. The tallest building in the city is 100 North Tampa, formerly the AmSouth Building, which rises 42 floors and 579 feet (176 m) in Downtown Tampa.[74] The structure was completed in 1992, and is the tallest building in Florida outside of Miami and Jacksonville.[74]
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100 North Tampa (1992)
-
Bank of America Plaza (1986)
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One Tampa City Center (1981)
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SunTrust Financial Centre (1992)
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The Element (2009)
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