Take Advantage of the Dry Weather While it Lasts

Nicole Madden,

AM Headlines:
  • Much cooler start
  • Temps fall through the week
  • Dry through Thursday
  • Ian is now a major hurricane
  • Later, more easterly landfall
  • Impacts locally begin Friday afternoon
Discussion:
It’s a cooler start this morning with temps in the 40s and 50s across the region. Highs will be a few degrees below average today, reaching the upper 70s under sunny skies. Temps fall through the week with overnight lows tumbling into the 30s and 40s beginning tonight. A trough digs into the region tomorrow, with high pressure sliding in through Thursday. Highs will fall to near 70 Wednesday and Thursday. Moisture begins to stream into the region from the outer bands of Ian Thursday night – keeping temps milder with lows back into the mid-50s. However, the rain will begin Friday afternoon to the evening, keeping temps well below average through the weekend in the 60s.
Ian Local Impacts
Ian is forecast to slow and track a bit more easterly. This means the onset of rain will begin a bit later in the day Friday. The track has Ian just west of Charlotte, but this can still change. Further east, will bring fewer impacts, and further west will bring more impacts to the area – namely a bigger severe threat. Ian will likely be a remnant low as it moves into the region. As of now, expect gusts of 30 to 40 mph max with an isolated tornado threat (expect this to be higher east). The bigger concern will be flash flooding. Moisture will be guided into the region, and if the remnants of Ian stall, then we could be talking about steady rain through early next week. Right now, rainfall totals are up a bit more with 2-5″ of rainfall possible.
Ian Latest Updates:
  • Major Category 3 Hurricane – 125 mph SUSTAINED winds
  • Made landfall over Western Cuba early Tuesday AM
  • Strengthen into a Cat 4 hurricane by Tuesday PM
  • Landfall Thursday AM (central gulf coast of Florida – near Tampa)
    • Hurricane Warnings in place
    • Up to 10 feet of storm surge is possible
    • Up to 24 inches of rain is possible for Central West Florida with 6-12″ likely
    • Power Outages from hurricane-force winds and tornadoes for western FL are possible
  • Slowly move into Southern GA by Friday PM as a remnant low
  • Near Charlotte by Saturday PM (IMPORTANT — Impacts will begin at least 24 hours before the center of what’s left of Ian reaches us)
    • Impacts greatest Friday PM – Sunday AM
    • Flash Flooding will be our greatest concern at this time
      • 2-5″ of rainfall is possible
    • Wind Gusts 30-40 mph possible beginning Friday = isolated power outages
    • Isolated tornadoes for the eastern half of the area especially