Tampa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with hot summer days, frequent thunderstorms in the summer, and a threat of a light winter freeze from November 15 through March 5 caused by occasional cold fronts from the north, and even then not every year. Big freezes happen rarely, only around every 15 to 20 years. It is listed as USDA zone 10, which is about the northern limit of where coconut palms and royal palms can be grown. Average highs range from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) year round, and lows 52 to 76 °F (11 to 24 °C).Surprising to some, 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.
Temperatures are hot from around mid April through early October, which coincides approximately with the rainy season. Summertime weather is very consistent, with highs consistently around 90°F (32-34 °C), lows in the mid-70s °F (23-24 °C), and high humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms, 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.
In the winter, average temperatures range from the low to mid 70s during the day to the low to mid 50s at night. However, sustained colder air from Canada does push into the area on several occasions every winter, dropping the highs and lows to 15 degrees below the average or even colder. The temperature falls below freezing an average of 2 to 3 times per year, though this does not occur every season.Since the Tampa area is home to a diverse range of freeze-sensitive agriculture and aquaculture, major freezes, although very infrequent, are a major concern. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Tampa was 18 °F (?8 °C) on December 13, 1962.
The rare 1977 snowfall
In the Great Blizzard of 1899, Tampa experienced its one and only known blizzard, with "bay effect" snow coming off Tampa Bay.The last measurable snow in Tampa fell on January 19, 1977. The accumulation amounted to all of 0.2 inches (0.5 cm), but the city, unprepared for and unaccustomed to wintry weather, came to a virtual standstill for a day.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.