Louisiana Residents Watching Tropical Disturbance in the Gulf
The Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1st. Once again it appears as if Mother Nature is ahead of the curve. Just as we've experienced in some of the recent previous seasons there is an area of disturbed weather in the tropics that forecasters with the National Hurricane Center are monitoring for development.
As you can see from that graphic provided by the National Hurricane Center the area of disturbed weather is basically right in the middle of the Gulf. That close proximity to the Louisiana coastline certainly makes this a system to watch. However, the prognosis for further development of this system doesn't appear to raise much concern.
Forecasters describe the system as a disorganized area of showers and storms that is in an environment that is conducive to some further development. However, forecasters didn't say the system would be poised for "rapid development" which we have seen many a tropical system go through as it crossed the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Seven Day Tropical Outlook pictured above, which is a new forecast product from the National Hurricane Center suggests the system will meander around the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico for the next few days. It will then eventually slide off to the east, crossing the Florida Peninsula. By this time next week, the system could be in the Atlantic Ocean with the potential to grow stronger over that body of water.
Forecasters do not anticipate this system will have any effect on Louisiana's weather directly. In fact, our forecast for the next several days' calls for mostly sunny skies with only a small chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm. Rain chances do ramp up just a bit by the weekend but that is not because of the tropical weather in the Gulf of Mexico.
Incidentally, should this system get organized and earn a name it won't be the first tropical storm of the 2023 Hurricane Season. We've already had that. The system formed in the waters off of the northeastern United States coastline. That system was not designated as a "subtropical storm" at that time. But, after extensive research and review forecasters have determined that the system should have earned a name. And just for record-keeping purposes, it will be known as ALO12023.