The Landfall of Tropical Storm Ida

Ida has weakened today and will make landfall overnight as a strong tropical storm. A lot of the storm’s rain is onshore, displaced from the actual center of the storm which is still not inland. The center will probably come ashore around 2 am on the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts. Winds along the coasts have been gusting upwards of 50 mph, while waves have been breaking at 15 to 20 feet. As Ida moves onshore, it will become connected with another area of low pressure and a cold front, creating a mess of a system for the eastern United States.

The First of the Season!

Just about 3 weeks from the close of Hurricane Season 2009, we will more than likely have our first landfalling hurricane in the United States in over a year. Hurricane Ida is located around 400 miles south-southeast of the Mississippi River and is chugging through the Gulf of Mexico at 14 mph. A hurricane warning is in effect for the US mainland from Pascagoula, MS to Indian Pass, FL. Ida is a category two hurricane with winds of 105 mph. However, As the upper level wind shear increases over the storm, and it begins to feel the effects of another area of low pressure as well as a cold front approaching from the north, Ida will weaken – but should remain a hurricane through landfall. Thereafter, Ida should transition into an extra-tropical cyclone as it merges with the other systems. Heavy rain will be the main threat across the southeastern United States, but where the storm comes ashore we can see winds of hurricane force, storm surge of 3 to 6 feet and a few isolated tornadoes. Landfall should be sometime late Monday into Tuesday. Keep it here and to the National Hurricane Center for the latest. I have a link straight to the Hurricane IDA information on my blogroll.  If Ida does make landfall as a hurricane, it would be only the 5th hurricane to make landfall in the United States in the month of November since 1900.

Ida Regains Hurricane Strength

After making landfall in Central America and then re-emerging into the Caribbean late Friday, Ida is now between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category One Hurricane with winds of 90 mph. Ida has about 24 hours to continue strengthening before encountering wind shear in the central and northern Gulf of Mexico. A full update will be available later Sunday as the path becomes more certain. At this time, people from Louisiana to the west coast of Florida should monitor Ida’s progress.

Ida Weakening

Hurricane Ida is now a tropical depression, located inland over Nicaragua and Honduras – dumping heavy rain and producing flooding across the poor countries. The center of the tropical depression should move northwestward and re-emerge over the northwestern Caribbean Sea late Friday or early Saturday. Thereafter it could restrengthen a bit – but the upper level environment won’t favor too much strengthening. We will have to see what Ida looks like tomorrow as it emerges before we see how much it can develop. In the meantime, Ida will continue to produce heavy rainfall over the mountains of Central America.

SURPRISE!!!

Just when we thought hurricane season 2009 was over, we have a hurricane out in the Caribbean Sea this morning! Hurricane Ida strengthened from a tropical storm earlier this morning and has made landfall near Tasbapauni, Nicaragua – in Central America as a category one hurricane with winds of 75 mph. Over the next 36 hours or so, the center of Ida should weaken as it tracks over the mountainous terrain of Honduras and Nicaragua. People there should brace for very heavy rains and potentially life threatening mudslides. If Ida survives the next 36 hours or so over land, then it would emerge over the Caribbean Sea and perhaps into the Gulf of Mexico. We will keep you updated on the latest developments on Ida.

One More Nice Day

Tuesday will be another pretty nice day in the Mahoning Valley for latter October. Highs will be around 62 degrees, about 5 degrees above normal for this time of year. Skies will be mostly cloudy, but some sun will shine especially earlier in the day. The next storm system will be moving into the area late Tuesday and should bring the wet and cooler weather to us Tuesday night and Wednesday, so for now – enjoy Tuesday!!!

Drying Out

Saturday doesnt look to be as wet as today was, however, I don’t think we’ll see much in the way of sunshine. Our high temperature should hover just under the 60 degree mark with mostly cloudy skies. We should have a fairly decent workweek, so all-in-all the weather is on the rebound. Have a great weekend!

A Nice Day! Then…….

If you enjoyed today, then Thursday is going to be another day of the same as highs will reach 70 degrees. However, there will be increased cloudiness as the afternoon progresses ahead of the next storm system that will affect the area. The storm will come in just in time for the weekend – as we can see a large amount of rain and wind affecting us Friday and Saturday. It will also be a little colder as highs won’t even make it to 60 degrees Friday and Saturday. So, if you can take off for your Thursday and enjoy the nice weather because you know it’s October and we probably won’t have much more weather like this.

Second Strongest EPAC Hurricane

The Atlantic Hurricane Season has sure put the meteorological nap in full swing…however, that is not the case in the Eastern Pacific basin. Tonight Hurricane Rick has become the 2nd strongest Eastern Pacific Hurricane as the maximum sustained winds have increased to 180 mph – making Rick a potentially catastrophic Category FIVE hurricane! The strongest EPac Hurricane was Hurricane Linda in 1997, who’s winds topped 185mph. Currently Rick is located 605 miles SSE of Cabo San Lucas, MX. Rick is currently moving away from the Mexican coast, but should turn back towards Baja California next week. However, by then cooler water temperatures and shear should induce significant weakening on the storm. However, all those along the Baja coast should monitor this potentially deadly storm!

Approaching the Peak

With the cool weather this week continuing into the weekend – it feels more like Winter than fall, but we are now in the peak season for leaves. Next week should be a little nicer to go view some of the valley’s nicest fall foliage. Next week should be peak conditions as well for the Allegheny Mountains in PA. The farther south you go, the later the peak season for foliage is – so if you can’t make it this week, just move your locations!!!