While the weekend will start off bright and cool, we face a close brush with a tropical system around Labor Day.
The system in question is currently Tropical Depression 9, located in the Gulf of Mexico. It will strengthen as it moves towards Florida’s Big Bend region over the next few days. After impacting Florida the storm will move northeast along parts of the East Coast.
The big question is its next move from there.
There are signs that the storm, or its remnants, may try to meander near or just south of New England late Sunday into Monday or Tuesday. The reason it may not just continue out to sea is a strong block area of high pressure in the middle of the Atlantic.
If it does swirl close enough to us we’d find some clouds, and perhaps periods of rain, especially near the coast. But that is far from a lock. It’s still entirely possible that the storm stays just far enough to the south where we stay high and dry.
Even if the closer pass does materialize this would not be a full blown hurricane by any means. It would really just be some leftovers. Given the uncertainty, it’s prudent to keep up on the forecast.
At this juncture there is no need to change or cancel any holiday plans. It's safe to say that the sunniest part of the weekend will be Saturday, gradually dulling with time. It’s also clear that no matter where the storm tracks, our seas will remain a little turbulent, with an elevated risk of rip currents.
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The weekend will also bring a feel of fall. Highs will be in the 70s for the most part.
While we keep an eye on Tropical Depression 9, there are many other systems in the tropics to watch.
Tropical Depression 8 is a very weak storm that is pulling away from the Carolinas. Hurricane Gaston, which increased waves for us this week, is still a formidable storm that’s pulling farther out to sea.
The Pacific can’t be forgotten either. Two hurricanes are moving towards Hawaii and may impact that state over the coming days.
