Gordon Moving Inland

ALL EYES ON GORDON: Gordon made landfall last night just to the west of the Alabama/Mississippi border and is moving rapidly inland today. Latest update from the NHC center this morning: At 400 AM CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Gordon was located near latitude 31.5 North, longitude 89.5 West. Gordon is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph. A northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Gordon will move across the lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday. A turn toward the north-northwest and north is forecast to occur on Friday. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 40 mph with higher gusts in a few squalls near the center. Gordon is likely to weaken to a tropical depression later this morning. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1002 mb (29.59 inches).

TORNADOES: A few small, spin-up, short-lived tornadoes are possible today near and east of the center of circulation over portions of East Mississippi and West Alabama, where the SPC has a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for severe weather highlighted for Wednesday.

INLAND IMPACT: Heaviest rain today in Alabama from Gordon will come across western and southern sections of the state where amounts of 2-4 inches are possible. For the rest of Alabama, showers and storms are certainly possible today but the farther east you go, the amounts will be very light and spotty for the northern and eastern counties of the state. Some places will see no rain at all from this system.

ELSEWHERE IN THE TROPICS: At 500 AM AST, the center of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 21.4 North, longitude 44.8 West. Florence is temporarily moving toward the northwest near 13 mph. A turn back toward the west-northwest is expected later today, and this general motion is expected to continue with Florence’s forward speed decreasing by the weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. A gradual weakening trend is forecast to begin tonight and continue through Friday. After that time, Florence is forecast to restrengthen through the weekend. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.The estimated minimum central pressure is 976 mb (28.82 inches).

A broad area of low pressure accompanied by disorganized cloudiness and showers is centered a couple of hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions are forecast to become conducive for development, and a tropical depression is expected to form by the end of the week while the system moves west-northwestward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent. Next name on the list to use, Helene.

A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa in a few days. Some development of the system is possible over the weekend while the wave moves westward over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Scattered showers will remain possible Thursday, especially over the western side of the state, but the upper ridge rebuilds Friday, and it looks hot and mostly dry with only isolated shower. The high Thursday will close to 90, with lower 90s Friday.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday looks hot and generally dry; only isolated afternoon showers with a high again in the lower 90s. Then, on Sunday, scattered showers and storms should increase over the northern third of Alabama as a surface front drifts down into Tennessee. Sunday’s high will be in the lower 90s.

NEXT WEEK: The front over Tennessee will become stationary, so scattered showers and storms remain possible at least for the first half of the week with highs mostly in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

Stay weather aware today!
Ryan