…Heavy rain and flash flooding expected throughout much of the Gulf
Coast as Francine approaches by Midweek…
…Elevated to critical fire weather concerns across much of the West and
Intermountain West…
Tropical cyclone Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and the
National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories for the storm. A
stationary front is draped over the northern Gulf of Mexico as well. The
tropical system and disturbed weather associated with the front will bring
threats for heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and strong winds to parts of
the Gulf Coast through the middle of the week. There is a Slight Risk for
Excessive Rainfall (level 2/4) in effect for the central Gulf Coast
southward to the Texas coastline on Tuesday and a Moderate Risk for
Excessive Rainfall (level 3/4) in effect across Louisiana and southern
Mississippi on Wednesday. Some areas could see greater than 5 inches of
rainfall over the next 3 days. Winds will also be a factor as Francine
approaches, there is an increasing risk of hurricane-force winds in
portions of southern Louisiana on Wednesday. There is also an increasing
likelihood of life-threatening storm surge inundation for portions of the
Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Those in these areas should take
precautions and follow advice from local officials. See the National
Hurricane Center’s latest advisory for more information on Francine.
The heat out West should start to relax from record breaking high
temperatures as upper level troughing and a couple of surface frontal
systems approach the Pacific Coast. By Wednesday, the highs in the West
should drop from the 90s and 80s to the 70s and 60s. However, the fire
danger will be on the rise in the West with low relative humidity and
gusty winds ahead of the front. The Storm Prediction Center has
highlighted an area of elevated fire weather over areas in the
Intermountain West over the next couple of days. Isolated thunderstorms
will also be possible in the Intermountain West and some isolated areas of
flash flooding may occur with any locally heavy thunderstorms.
The northern Plains and Great Basin will see warm temperatures shift
westward. Temperatures will trend as much as 15 degrees above average as
maximum temperatures reach the low to middle 90s. The temperatures in the
Ohio and Tennessee Valley will begin to modify as the trough begins to
leave the area and ridging builds in from the West. The highs will reach
the middle 80s to low 90s across most of these areas and trend slightly
above average for this time of the year.
Wilder
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
