Will rain in Tampa be an element within the NFL’s greatest sport of the season? | The climate channel – Article from the climate channel

• The Tampa weather is unlikely to be a clean Sunday.
• Rain is likely early Sunday as a front system is draped over Florida.
• It is uncertain whether the showers will continue during the big game on Sunday night.

Sunday’s NFL championship game in Tampa may present some weather issues to complement the protocols applicable to COVID-19.

The weather pattern over Florida this weekend lends itself more to liquid sunshine than the commonly used nickname Sunshine State.

A cold front will hit north Florida on Friday and slide into central Florida on Saturday. Unlike other winter cold fronts that explode through Florida, this one can linger over the state until Sunday.

If jetstream energy travels across that front, it will represent rain over parts of Florida this weekend.

But because of this, we are not so concerned about the weather affecting the game itself.

Currently, most computer forecasting models point to the highest chance of rain in Tampa-St. The Petersburg metro area is from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, while a wave of low pressure ripples along the front line and then heads into the western Atlantic.

(MORE: The full, latest Tampa forecast)

Once that wave of low pressure is over late Sunday, the likelihood of prolonged showers is relatively small, but not nil, even if the front is still waffling nearby.

Any pre-game celebrations on Saturday, or even Sunday morning, could be dampened by rain, but for the game itself on Sunday night there is little chance of showers in the game.

A current Wet Florida Big Game

According to statistics from the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), 22 of the last 54 games this Sunday had at least one trace of precipitation at a nearby airport.

The wettest big game in the NFL took place in Florida just 14 years ago.

Quarterback Peyton Manning won his first championship on February 4, 2007 while the rain occasionally soaked Dolphin Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Phoenix as Indianapolis led Chicago. On that day, just under 1 inch of rain was registered at Phoenix International Airport.

Quarterback Peyton Manning admires the Vince Lombardi Trophy after Indianapolis beat Chicago 29-17 at Dolphin Stadium in Phoenix.

(AP Photo / David Duprey)

Tampa’s four previous major games in 1984, 1991, 2001 and 2009 went smoothly due to weather conditions.

Since 1890, measurable rain – at least 0.01 inches – has fallen to 35% of the previous February 7th in Tampa, according to SERCC.

Despite the possibility of rain, central Florida Sunday temperatures – highs generally in the 1970s – will be the envy of much of the nation, especially those shivering during a major arctic cold outbreak.

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