Front brings cooler weather late this week, strong hurricane likely in Gulf

Summer still has a grip over the area with highs in the lower 90s each day and feels-like temperatures near 100 degrees. I see this weather pattern continuing through tomorrow and Wednesday. More widespread storm activity could become possible Tuesday and Wednesday as a trough of low pressure aloft swings a surface front through the region.

This front will transition the wind field to a northerly component on Wednesday, bringing in drier air later in the day.

Highs will only reach the mid-80s both Thursday and Friday. With the drier air moving in, overnight lows will be in the low-mid 60s Friday morning!

The upcoming weekend doesn’t look bad, with highs in the upper 80s and partly cloudy skies. A few isolated showers could be possible with some residual upper-level energy remaining overhead.

TROPICS

Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine (Helene) is further organizing today. Development is imminent and strengthening is forecast through the end of the week.

As the system is pulled northward into the Gulf of Mexico, conditions look nearly ideal for rapid intensification, including very warm sea-surface temperatures and a favorable upper-level wind profile. The National Hurricane Center is showing a category two, but I believe a major hurricane is definitely possible, if not likely, as it approaches the eastern Gulf Thursday. Landfall is expected somewhere across Florida Thursday evening.

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