TROPICAL SYSTEM IN WESTERN GULF; COULD HEIGHTEN LOCAL RAIN CHANCES IN ~5 DAYS… The chances of a tropical storm forming in the western Gulf of Mexico have increased on this Saturday. The National Hurricane Center indicates there is a 70% chance of a named tropical storm forming in the western Gulf, perhaps near the coast of Mexico or Texas. This developing tropical system will likely move toward the Texas or Louisiana coast during the upcoming week. There is a fairly high chance that this system, or what is left of it, will bring increased rain chances to south Alabama and northwest Florida by Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Friday during the upcoming week. Other local impacts may be possible, depending on the exact setup of the system in a few days.
LOCAL IMPACTS DISCUSSION – SOUTH ALABAMA & N.W. FLORIDA… We won’t know specifics as far as exactly what to expect with this developing tropical system until the system forms, but we have a pretty clear trend that supports the potential for heightened rain chances on Wednesday, Thursday, and potentially Friday of the upcoming week. Rip currents and high waves will be a concern at the Gulf beaches as soon as Monday and Tuesday and certainly extending into the latter half of the week as well. Depending on the exact future track of the system, isolated tornadoes could become a concern Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Friday, but it is too early to know if tornadoes will be a real possibility until the system develops a bit more. Gusty winds may be possible near the beaches but at this point, high wind impacts across the region seem rather unlikely. Please check back for updates on what to expect across south Alabama and northwest Florida over the next several days as this situation continues to evolve.
MOSTLY CLOUDY TODAY; RAIN OFFSHORE… Skies remain mostly cloudy in many communities across the region. Temperatures are in the upper-70s. It really feels quite nice in most spots. Rain and thunderstorms are happening just offshore. Rain will likely continue over the northern Gulf in the hours ahead but most land areas will remain dry over the next few hours.
APP… If you haven’t already downloaded the RedZone Weather app, now is a great time to do that. redzoneweather.com/app is the link to the free download. Once you have the RZW app installed on your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab to turn on the specific notifications you’d like to receive. All notifications are handcrafted by me. No automation and we promise not to bug you!
I will have more updates posted about this developing tropical system over the next few days in the RedZone Weather app. Have a nice Saturday evening!