COASTAL IMPACTS FROM MARCO LIKELY LOCALLY MONDAY… Tropical Storm Marco continues to move north across the Gulf of Mexico on this Sunday. Local impacts, especially in the immediate coastal zones of Alabama and northwest Florida, will be possible on Monday into Monday night. These local impacts will include heavy rain and potentially flash flooding, gusty (25-35 mph) winds at the immediate coast, isolated tornadoes, minor storm surge, and high waves. Impacts from Marco may continue into the overnight hours Monday into early Tuesday morning. These impacts will be largely because our area is on the volatile eastern side of the circulation center, even though the core of Marco will likely make landfall to our southeast in Louisiana. Tropical Storm Laura is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, followed by rapid movement to the northwest. Laura will likely make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday as a hurricane. Local impacts from Laura remain fairly uncertain due to the low confidence in the future track of the storm. Locally today, we’ll have high rain chances ahead of Tropical Storm Marco. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely, especially this afternoon into this evening. Let’s look at all of your forecast details in this special Sunday morning edition of the RedZone Weather forecast.

MARCO – POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS… Isolated tornadoes will be a possibility, mainly in coastal counties (Baldwin, Mobile, Escambia (FL), Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa) on Monday into Monday night and early Tuesday. High surf, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, and perhaps minor storm surge may become an issue at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches. High winds are unlikely across inland areas, but winds may gust up to 50 mph at the coast Monday night into Tuesday morning. Our local area may be dealing with some impacts because of Tropical Storm Laura by Wednesday. More details about Laura are below.

TIMING – MARCO IMPACTS LOCALLY… The center of Marco will likely make landfall in southeast Louisiana on Monday. That means that impacts will be possible across coastal areas of south Alabama and northwest Florida from Monday into Monday night and perhaps even the very early part of Tuesday morning. We encourage everyone to have a way to receive urgent tornado warnings, just in case warnings are needed locally. You know the drill: You need something like a NOAA Weather Radio or a smartphone (with loud alerts) to wake you up if you will be sleeping. Just like in tornado season in the spring months, multiple ways to receive urgent weather warnings are always best.

TROPICAL STORM MARCO IN THE GULF… The center of Tropical Storm Marco is located about 400 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana this morning. Marco is moving north-northwest at about 13 mph. Much of the deep convection remains over the eastern side of the system, due to the continued presence of at least some atmospheric shear. While Marco will have a chance to strengthen into a hurricane today, atmospheric shear will likely increase tonight into Monday. Marco may be weakening by the time landfall happens on Monday.

TROPICAL STORM LAURA OVER HISPANIOLA… Tropical Storm Laura continues to have a large amount of convection, generating heavy rain and flash flooding issues for Hispaniola this morning. Laura continues to rapidly move west-northwest this morning at 16 mph. Laura will move over Cuba in the hours ahead. It remains to be seen if Laura will strengthen (if the center remains over water), weaken (if the center remains on land), or remain about the same in intensity over the next 24 hours.

LAURA – POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS… Depending on the exact future track of Tropical Storm Laura, which will likely become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, potential local impacts may change. The latest forecast from NHC calls for the center of Laura to remain to our south and west, but impacts will be possible locally, especially at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches on Wednesday into early Thursday. Gusty winds (25-35 mph), high waves, rip currents, isolated tornadoes, and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding will all be possible locally in coastal counties due to Laura. Inland areas may contend with heavy rain, breezy conditions (15-25 mph winds), and the potential for isolated tornadoes. Further forecast refinements may eliminate or enhance these impacts. IF (and that remains a big IF this morning) local impacts happen in south Alabama and northwest Florida because of Laura, those impacts are most likely to happen on Wednesday into Thursday.

LAURA LIKELY TO MOVE INTO GULF… Just as Marco is making landfall on Monday, Laura will be entering the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Laura is expected to be a tropical storm when the system enters the Gulf on Monday evening. Strengthening is called for in the National Hurricane Center forecast as Laura is moving northwest across the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana. For now, NHC ramps the system up to a category 1 hurricane. Further intensity guidance changes will be possible once we see how fractured (or strong) Laura is when the system moves into the Gulf.

RAIN & STORMS LIKELY AT TIMES TODAY… Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are likely across the region on this Sunday. Rain chances will be greatest in the afternoon and evening hours, but there could be showers and storms pretty much at any time today thanks to the high amounts of Gulf moisture that continue to stream into our local area. High temperatures will be in the upper-80s.

SET UP APP ALERTS… Be sure to download our free RedZone Weather app if you haven’t done so already. redzoneweather.com/app is the link where you can download the app for your iOS or Android device. Once you have the app downloaded, be sure to visit the Alerts tab in the lower right corner of the app to select the specific notifications you would like to receive straight from me.

NEXT UPDATE… I will have updates throughout the day in the RedZone Weather app. My next detailed update will be later this evening, unless warranted sooner. Have a great Sunday!

MARCO IMPACTS POSSIBLE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT LOCALLY… Impacts from Tropical Storm Marco will be possible across south Alabama and northwest Florida, particularly in coastal areas. Heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding, isolated tornadoes, gusty (25-35 mph) winds, storm surge, high surf, and rip currents will be possible. Inland impacts from Marco look less likely. In addition, we continue to track Tropical Storm Laura, located now near the eastern side of the Dominican Republic. Laura will likely emerge into the southeastern Gulf on Monday. IMPORTANT NOTE: Forecast confidence remains unusually low. Further significant changes for track and intensity guidance are not out of the question, especially for Tropical Storm Laura. Please check back in with me over the next few days as we continue to track these volatile tropical systems.

POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS DUE TO MARCO IN SOUTH ALABAMA & NW FLORIDA… This is a significant change from previous forecasts, meaning I need your help to get the word out about this. Please mention a friend in the comments below! Based on the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, direct local impacts in south Alabama and northwest Florida because of Marco (which may be a strong tropical storm or hurricane as it approaches on Monday) will be possible. Rain chances will increase throughout the day on Monday, and there is a chance we may have to deal with isolated tornadoes, especially near the coast on Monday night into Tuesday. High surf, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, and perhaps minor storm surge may become an issue at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches. High winds are unlikely across inland areas, but winds may gust up to 50 mph at the coast Monday night into Tuesday morning. Forecast confidence in these ideas remains low, and further significant changes are not out of the question. *Please* check in with me over the next 24-48 hours for the latest updates on Marco. Midweek, we may be dealing with some impacts because of Tropical Storm Laura. More details about Laura are below.

POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS (LAURA) IN SOUTH ALABAMA & NW FLORIDA… Depending on the exact future track of Tropical Storm Laura, which will likely become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, potential local impacts may change. The latest forecast from NHC calls for the center of Laura to remain to our south, but impacts will be possible locally, especially at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches on Wednesday into early Thursday. Gusty winds (25-35 mph), high waves, rip currents, isolated tornadoes, and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding will all be possible locally in coastal counties due to Laura. Inland areas may contend with heavy rain, breezy conditions (15-25 mph winds), and the potential for isolated tornadoes. Honestly, we need to see how the rapidly evolving situation with Marco plays out before we get specific with Laura BUT because of the expected timing with Laura moving into the Gulf on Monday, we do not have the luxury of ignoring the situation altogether. Big takeaway with expected local impacts because of Laura: Stay tuned!

TROPICAL STORM WATCH LOCALLY; HURRICANE WATCH FOR LA & MS… A Hurricane Watch continues for much of the Louisiana coastline and all of the Mississippi coastline this evening. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for all of Mobile and Baldwin counties in southwest Alabama as tropical storm force wind gusts will be possible, especially in coastal areas, due to Marco, on Monday into Monday night.

APP… Be sure to download our free RedZone Weather app if you haven’t done so already. redzoneweather.com/app is the link where you can download the app for your iOS or Android device. Once you have the app downloaded, be sure to visit the Alerts tab in the lower right corner of the app to select the specific notifications you would like to receive straight from me.

I will have another highly detailed video and text discussion posted by 7:15AM on Sunday. See you in the morning!