Anybody along the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle needs to be watching this storm. |
For the past few days, there have been indications the rainy season is trying to start. We're getting close, but we're still some days away. |
It's definitely not uncommon to have dry Marches. The air is drier and more stable. The air masses are not conducive to developing clouds and, eventually, rain. |
It's going to be cold at least by our standards, 15 to 20 degrees below normal. |
It's something we're going to have to watch. |
Relative to most of the country, it's still rather mild, but when people book Florida vacations, they're not expecting temperatures in the 40s. |
The center of Irene is over land right now. |
The rains don't weaken as fast as the winds do. As far as the rains are concerned, they are going to extend over a large portion of the state. |
The slower movement means heavy rains will fall over the same area for some period of time. Areas that are prone to flooding could see a significant amount of water. |
The wind-chill will be between 33 and 38 degrees, depending on how strong the winds are. It should be quite chilly. |
We do think it's going to go northward at some point. It's just a matter of when. |