Updraft: July 6, 2010 Archive

Tropical Trouble

Posted at 8:40 AM on July 6, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Hurricanes, Rainfall

A tropical wave near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula may strengthen as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico over the next 48 hours.

Weather eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico this week as one tropical wave pounds Louisiana with choppy seas and heavy downpours. Meanwhile, a second and stronger tropical wave is brewing near the Yucatan which could move into the Gulf and strengthen over the next 48 hours. NHC is giving the disturbance about a 30% chance of developing into the Atlantic's second named storm of the season.

Indications are the upper level steering currents will continue to move the wave northwest. Various forecast models are taking he system toward the Texas coast later this week. Overall conditions appear favorable for development, and all eyes will be on the Texas coast later this week.

Eastern Heat Wave:

It's way hotter than the 4th of July out east. Highs will reach 100 degrees today from New York to D.C. as a big area of intense high pressure sprawls out.

The so called Bermuda or Azores High often shifts west and sets up shop over the eastern U.S. during the summer months. This week, the system will trap heat over the east coast. Record power demand is forecast in many eastern cities as residents try to stay cool during the heat wave.

Minnesota's Rain Forest:

If you feel like you're living in the Amazon Jungle this week, you're not far off. Dew points with our extremely humid air mass have been in the 70s. That's a tropical moisture level we only see a few times during the summer in Minnesota.

With that kind of moisture in the air, tropical downpours can dump heavy rain in just a few minutes. Rainfall totals last night ranged from 1" to over 3" in and around eastern Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

The sweaty air mass will linger through Wednesday, before a drier Canadian air mass eases in Thursday and Friday, bringing relief to sweaty Minnesotans.

PH