J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
High °F |
71° | 72° | 77° | 82° | 88° | 90° | 91° | 91° | 89° | 85° | 78° | 73° |
Low °F |
51° | 53° | 57° | 62° | 69° | 74° | 75° | 75° | 74° | 67° | 59° | 54° |
Sun |
10h | 11h | 12h | 13h | 14h | 14h | 14h | 13h | 12h | 11h | 11h | 10h |
Rain Days |
5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Water °F |
65° | 65° | 68° | 74° | 76° | 82° | 85° | 87° | 85° | 82° | 76° | 69° |
Tampa has warm weather all year round with spring being the most popular time to visit for vacation in terms of visitor numbers. The summer months can feel quite hot to visitors not accustomed to the humid Florida summer weather so generally the months from September to May are recommended to visit for vacation. Fall would be a particularly good time to visit as the weather and water temperature is still warm but visitor numbers are significantly lower than the spring peak resulting in cheaper hotel prices.
From late May to mid September, expect a daily afternoon thunderstorm. Although almost daily, these thunderstorms typically pass within an hour so don’t interrupt the day too much. Tampa is known as the lightning capital of the United States given the storm frequency over summer although stormy weather outside of the summer months is far more rare.
The winter months have generally mild weather with temperatures averaging around the mid 60s. Although there may be cold periods where temperatures can drop into the 50s and even 40s, these winter cold snaps only tend to last a few days before the more customary mild weather returns. Given its pleasant winter weather, Tampa is a hotspot for “snowbirds” looking to escape the harsh winter weather found in the northern US and Canada.
The name “Tampa” is believed to have meant “sticks of fire”, a reference to the lightning that accompanies the passing storms throughout the summer months. Tampa is essentially a sprawl city with several different districts worth visiting including Ybor City, the originally cigar manufacturing and now party district. Renting a car is highly recommended to explore the bay area properly although ride sharing apps could also suffice.
The Hillsborough River runs through Tampa and into the bay allowing for activities such as paddling, canoeing, jet skiing or simply taking a water taxi ride along the river. Although part of Tampa Bay, Tampa sees itself very distinctly from its fellow bay area cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg. A common misconception is that Tampa is a beach town. Whilst there are a few beaches in Tampa, these lie on the bay and if you’re after a trip to a sea facing beach, you’ll need to head west across the bay to the many beaches lining the Gulf of Mexico. Tampa is ideal for shopping, restaurants, cafes, outdoor activities, catching a sports game and nightlife!