Weekly Weather Watch: Tuesday, September 24th, 2024

Watching a probable major hurricane approaching the Gulf Coast with most significant impact coming to Florida. The impact from heavy rainfall will continue through next week for the Southeast. Elsewhere, milder temperatures for the week.

HEADLINERS:

ON THE RADAR:

SEVERE WEATHER AREAS:

IN THE GAUGES:

Significant risk of flooding for the Southeast, additional moisture for the Northwest, and very little moisture for the Southwest to the Northern Plains.

GRAB A RULER:

There is very little snowfall in the States, but Canada has some heavier snowfall ahead.

TROPICAL TIDINGS:

KEY MESSAGES:

1. Helene is forecast to intensify and be near hurricane strength 
when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea early Wednesday. 
Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western 
Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with 
hurricane conditions possible.

2. Helene is expected to rapidly intensify over the eastern
Gulf of Mexico and be a major hurricane when it approaches the
northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday.  The risk of impacts from
life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds
continues to increase along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and
the Florida west coast.  Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches are in
effect for much of that area and residents in those areas should
follow advice given by local officials.

3. Helene will bring heavy rain to portions of the western 
Caribbean, which will cause considerable flooding and mudslides 
across western Cuba.  Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally 
considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of Florida, 
with isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the 
Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley 
Wednesday through Friday. Minor to isolated moderate river flooding 
will be possible.

RECORDS MADE TO BE BROKEN:

ARE YOU CIRRUS?

On this day in weather history:
1926  At Riverside Ranger Station in Yellowstone National Park, the temperature dropped to -9 degrees F, making this the lowest recorded temperature in the United States in September.
1985  The national media dubbed Hurricane Gloria the "Killer Storm of the Century". This nickname turned the entire East Coast into panic.
1939  A tropical storm called "El Cordonazo" ("the lash" or "whip") made landfall between Los Angeles and San Diego. It was the only time in the 20th Century that the center of a tropical storm made landfall on the California coast (at Long Beach).
1988  The earliest frost of record hit the southern states of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida.