Florida Public Radio Emergency Network

The cold front has brought gusty winds to the greater Tampa Bay region and will cause temperatures to plummet Monday night into Tuesday morning.

After a chance of rain, the front will bring brisk northerly winds and highs only in the mid 60s and lows into the 30s in some areas.

Temperatures are expected to plunge over parts of the Sunshine State in the wake of the storm line.

It is set to bring heavy rains, strong winds, and the threat of tornadoes on Tuesday, the official first day of winter. It will leave cooler weather ahead of Christmas.

La Niña is going to lead to drier and warmer conditions across the Sunshine State during the winter months, which could help fuel an active wildfire season.

Expect high temperatures to reach into the lower and middle 80s through the weekend.

We can expect lingering clouds and a gusty breeze by Sunday.

The storm system likely to wash out many outdoor plans Friday and Saturday across the state and will depart the region quickly Sunday.

It's a reminder that we still have a month to go until the end of hurricane season.

The Tornado Watch includes Jacksonville, Lake City, Gainesville, Ocala, Cedar Key, The Villages, Tampa, Lakeland, Sarasota and Fort Myers.

The strong cold front could produce damaging winds, but embedded tornadoes and waterspouts cannot be ruled out.

Temperatures are expected to be 10-12 degrees cooler across a large portion of Florida thanks to a noticeable fall front.