Rain, cooler weather coming to Tampa Bay this week. Here’s what you need to know.

You may need a couple of jackets this week – one for rain and another for cooler weather.

Remnants of what was once Tropical Storm Sara are expected to meander into the Gulf of Mexico this week, drumming up moisture in the Tampa Bay area. Meanwhile, a cold front dipping into the region is forecast to drop low temperatures into the 50s later this week.

The remnants of Sara and the cold front are evidence of a waning hurricane season, giving way to what is expected to be a mild winter.

Here’s what Tampa Bay can expect weather-wise this week.

Rainy weather is coming on Wednesday

According to the National Hurricane Center, the remnants of Sara disappeared early Monday morning.

The last of Sara is expected to lift rain chances in Tampa Bay on Wednesday by adding a kick of moisture to the atmosphere, said Nicole Carlisle, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office.

In Tampa, forecasters are calling for a 60% chance of rain that day.

Carlisle said there is a low chance of severe weather on Wednesday, but a few thunderstorms could pop up. The region could see rain during the day as bands of storms roll through. Possible amounts of rain vary greatly.

On the higher end, Tampa Bay could get up to 2 inches of rain. But on the low end, rainfall could be about half an inch.

“It’s going to depend on who gets the few thunderstorms that move through, they’ll probably dump more rain,” Carlisle said.

Bouts of rain have been few and far between since Hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded Tampa Bay. Although the region is not in danger of falling into drought, parched lawns could benefit from a few inches of rain.

As far as hurricane season goes, November has been unusually active. Sara, which at one point had Tampa Bay fretting over its forecast, was the third named storm this month.

The now deflated tropical storm could close the end of an active and destructive back half of the hurricane season.

The season runs until 30 November. As of Monday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center was not monitoring other systems.

Wednesday’s storms will likely be out of the area overnight. When residents wake up on Thursday, it is expected to be noticeably drier and cooler.

The cooler weather is coming this week

The boost of moisture from Sara will arrive in the Tampa Bay area around the same time as a cold front pushes into the region.

By the end of the work week and through the weekend, temperatures will top out around 70 degrees, while lows will dip into the low to mid 50s.

The National Weather Service expects temperatures to drop to around 50 degrees in Tampa on Saturday and Sunday. If the temperatures hold, they will result in the coolest weather the region has seen since February.

Tampa Bay has had a few short-lived cooldowns over the past few weeks, but this could be the longest stretch of cooler temperatures in recent months.

Carlisle said to expect a warm-up again early next week to temperatures more typical for this time of year. According to weather service data, November’s normal high temperature is around 79 degrees.

This winter is likely to be warm and dry thanks to an emerging La Niña, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

La Niña conditions typically cause drier air in Florida winters, leading to warmer days and marginally cooler nights, leveling out to slightly above average temperatures.

In late November, forecasters expect to see more consistent and longer cooldowns, Carlisle said.

“We’re definitely going to start seeing those cold fronts every five, six days — kind of a more typical winter pattern,” Carlisle said.