Good evening, Tampa Bay. We're wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

Your Weather Planner

Drier air continues to settle in to the area.

With lower humidity and clearing skies, Wednesday morning will be a bit cooler in the 50s to low 60s.

The dry air will also heat up quickly, so expect highs in the low to mid 80s Wednesday afternoon.

A sea breeze will keep it cooler along the coast.

Highs: 84

Lows: 60

Rain Coverage: 0% 

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Today's Big Stories

1. New Howard Frankland Bridge span opens to traffic
Drivers heading to St. Petersburg from Tampa on Interstate 275 are now driving on the new span of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

2. Florida bill advancing in the Senate would modify school safety rules
State law requires schools to lock doors when a student is on campus. However, a new proposal advancing in the Florida Senate would carve out select areas on campus and limit the lockdown to school hours.

3. Mega Millions introduces new $5 game with bigger prizes, better odds
Officials announced today that cost to play will increase from $2 to $5, paving the way for some bigger prizes. It’s only the second price change since the game began more than 20 years ago. The last change was in 2017.

4. Manatee authorities seize $1 million-plus worth of drugs and weapons
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has announced an arrest in an undercover case lasting several months and seizing more than $1 million in drugs and weapons.

5. USF names Arkansas State coach Bryan Hodgson as new head basketball coach
The University of South Florida has found its new men’s head basketball coach. USF has hired former Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson to guide the Bulls program.

Your Notes for Tonight and Tomorrow

  • CITY HALL ON TOUR | St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch is kicking off the 2025 City Hall on Tour series with an open-house-style community event on Wednesday, March 26, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at The Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). This event is family-friendly, free, and open to all residents. Light refreshments will be provided. This first event in the tour will highlight Sunrise St. Pete, the city's newly launched initiative funded by $160 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from HUD. Get additional details on the event. 

  • BOLTS VS. PENGUINS | The Tampa Bay Lightning are at home as they face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The teams meet Tuesday for the third time this season. The Lightning won 5-2 in the previous matchup. Nikita Kucherov led the Lightning with two goals. The puck drops tonight at 7 p.m.

  • LIFEGUARD POSITIONS OPEN | Pinellas County Government is hiring multiple lifeguards and senior lifeguards for various locations within Pinellas County. These are seasonal, temporary positions performing public safety work preventing injury or death in county open water swimming areas. Learn more about the position on Pinellas County's website. 

        
           NATIONAL NOTES        

           Wednesday, March 26

  • 1st anniversary of cargo ship crashing into Baltimore bridge causing it to collapse
  • 5th anniversary of U.S. announcing record 3.3 million weekly jobless claims
  • Pamela Anderson honored at NYWIFT Muse Awards
  • U.S. Supreme Court considers nondelegation doctrine case

A+ Teacher

Stacie Canfield

Brooksville teacher creates excitement around learning math

Stacie Canfield is the math department chair at Central High School and she’s finding new and unique ways to get her students excited about numbers. When she was in high school herself, she was not thinking about becoming a math teacher.