A low temperature of 86 degrees — that’s the record-setting “warmest low” temperature St. Pete tied.
The National Weather Service office in Ruskin says St. Pete bottomed out at a swampy 86 on August 9 — that ties an all-time record first set August 27, 2011.
Lakeland and Fort Myers both surpassed records of consecutive days with low temperatures at 80 or more. Sarasota-Bradenton tied a record as of Saturday morning with 6 days in a row of lows in the 80s. SRQ also broke a record high for August 11, hitting 97 in the afternoon with a heat index around 114.
The persistent westerly winds have kept temperatures warmer, and humidity is overall higher than normal. With high humidity, temperatures cool much slower overnight. We’re also in a deep drought, which is unusual during the summer, so you’re not getting rain-cooled air that would moderate temperatures.