The rainy season typically goes into September, and this year was no different.

What You Need To Know

  • September 2021 was very wet in most spots

  • Some areas were warmer than normal, and others were cooler

  • Cold fronts become much more common in October

  • Most spots can see lows in the 50s by the end of October

September saw many days with heavy rain, and some areas experienced incredible rain totals.

The rainy season carried on with several sea breeze summertime storms. A few cold fronts got close to the area, leading to enhanced rain coverage, especially north of Tampa Bay.

The temperatures did vary quite a bit, depending on which areas had more cloudy days. Some areas were above normal, and some areas ended September below average.

Here is a look at the numbers.

Tampa

Average temperature: 83.1 degrees (0.4 degrees above normal) 

Rainfall: 7.39 inches (1.3 inches above normal)

St Petersburg

Average temperature: 83.1 degrees (0.6 degrees above normal) 

Rainfall: 8.29 inches (1.63 inches above normal)

Plant City

Average temperature: 83.0 degrees (0.8 degrees above normal)

Rainfall: 6.57 inches (0.42 inches below normal)

Winter Haven

Average temperature: 82.2 degrees (0.3 degrees below normal)

Rainfall: 3.62 inches (1.62 inches below normal)

Lakeland

Average temperature: 81.9 degrees (0.2 degrees below normal)

Rainfall: 7.46 inches (0.16 inches below normal)

Bradenton

Average temperature: 81.8 degrees (0.4 degrees below normal)

Rainfall: 5.30 inches (0.7 inches below normal)

Bartow

Average temperature: 80.8 degrees (0.1 degrees above normal)

Rainfall: 9.83 inches (2.52 inches above normal)

Inverness

Average temperature: 80.0 degrees (1.1 degrees above normal)

Rainfall: 14.14 inches (8.33 inches above normal)

Tarpon Springs

Average temperature: 80.0 degrees (1.3 degrees below normal)

Rainfall: 7.82 inches (0.79 inches above normal)

Brooksville

Average temperature: 79.7 degrees (0.1 degrees below normal) 

Rainfall: 5.27 inches (0.52 inches below normal)

Looking ahead to October

October is when cold fronts move in with more frequency. The normal temperatures in October go from 89 and 73 on the 1st to 82 and 63 on the 31st.

It is also typically a drier month, as we begin our dry season in October. An average October only receives 2.34 inches of rain.

It can still get hot, as many years have had temperatures in the 90s. Twice it hit 95 in October. Once was in 1941, and the second time was just last year. The coldest October morning on record in Tampa was a chilly 40 degrees on October 21, 1964.

The wettest October was in 1922 when over 10 inches of rain fell, and in 2010, only a trace of rain fell, making it the driest October on record.

Even though the normal is 63 on the 31st, October is when most areas see their first morning below 60 degrees. The average first occurrence of that is usually the second week of the month. We shall see if that happens in 2021.