Welcome to the tropics in September.
I wrote about the peak of the hurricane season a few weeks ago, and some of the indications that the tropics were getting ready to switch on.
Well we are rapidly approaching the statistical peak of the hurricane season, and it certainly seems that the season has indeed kicked in to high gear.
So I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to review what the tropics look like currently and a reminder that the season doesn't end mid September.
Hurricane Dorian has received the majority of the attention so far this season, and certainly for a reason as it still remains a strong, disruptive storm.
While the eye will likely remain offshore impacts will be felt all along the coastline especially as the wind field of the storm starts to expand as the storm weakens.
it is still moving fairly slow but forward movement is expected to pick up over the next day or two, pushing north of the country by the weekend.
Quietly while Dorian started it's northward movement Tropical Storm Fernand developed on Wednesday in the southern Gulf of Mexico.
There's no impacts to Acadiana at all and a small disorganized storm will bring some wind and rain to the Mexican coastline before quickly dissipating as it hits the mountains.
Shipping land storm Gabrielle developed on Wednesday morning and will stay out in the Atlantic, there's no threat to land at all with this storm.
It likely will be a couple days when we see Humberto pop up somewhere in the Atlantic as waves continue to form and move off the African coastline.
As of this writing (Wednesday morning) there's nothing out there that would be of major concern to Louisiana, it'll be the central and eastern Atlantic where we'll see any development.
Once those waves start rolling through it'll be important to keep an eye on some of the steering currents and a central ridge in the Atlantic may force some of those waves into southern parts of the Basin.
This is when those waves can become problematic as they'll be forced to stay south and in much warmer water and on a westward track.
There's been a little model support for development in the south central basin with some of the longer range looks, which is normal this time of year.
So again nothing immediate or pending but things to monitor as we keep moving through hurricane season.
Keep in mind that this is a long season, technically we've been in it since June 1, but even the peak can go for over a month so Dorian is not the end of the season.
Last year Michael went from an October thunderstorm to a Category 5 storm in the second week of October making landfall in the Florida Panhandle.
There's also a tendency as well to let your guard down a little after a big storm, and think that a storm as bad as Dorian as to be the only one.
Unfortunately though that's not the case, Rita followed quickly after Katrina, Harvey, Irma, and Maria seemingly were all back to back, and even Michael arrived after a powerful Florence.
So as we preach each year the time to prepare and make sure you have your plan ready is when it's quiet, not when you're staring down a hurricane.
We'll continue to keep an eye on it and as always make KATC your tropical headquarters for all the latest.
