[quote="Dylan"]My latest update on 90L is posted to my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DylanFedericoWx/WEDNESDAY PM UPDATE ON TROPICAL DISTURBANCE 90L
Since yesterday afternoon, tropical disturbance #90L has continued to become slowly better organized. Visible satellite shows much more shower and thunderstorm activity near the center of circulation, which is currently located along the eastern Yucatan Peninsula near Belize. Despite this, the area of low pressure remains broad and disorganized. Invest 90L will slowly move northward into the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days, but a combination of land interaction, wind shear, and dry air will limit its ability to become a tropical depression or tropical storm #Alberto over the next two days. Which is why the National Hurricane Center is giving it a 0% chance of development over the next couple of days.
By Friday afternoon into Saturday, things will change. 90L is expected to emerge into the southern Gulf of Mexico, where conditions will be slightly more favorable for organization, and the National Hurricane Center gives 90L a 60% of becoming a tropical depression or tropical storm after day two. Wind shear and dry air will still limit development, but it won’t be lethal by any means. The disturbance will then be steered northward on the western periphery of the Bermuda high towards the north-central gulf coast by Sunday.
The European remains very consistent of a landfall in SE Louisiana early next week with strong support from its ensemble suite, along with the Japanese and German models. The Canadian and UK models are slightly east, with landfalls closer to the Alabama and Florida Panhandle coastlines. The American (GFS) model, which has been a complete embarrassment and is victimized by convective feedback issues, shows a landfall near the southern Florida peninsula. Even the GFS ensemble suite is well the west of its operational version, showing landfall from SE LA to the FL panhandle.
Bottom line that that confidence is strong for a landfall from SE LA to the western Florida panhandle. With conditions only being marginally favorable, I don’t expect 90L to become anything more than a weak, lopsided tropical storm. Meaning that the worst weather will be the EAST of the center. So, even if 90L makes landfall in SE LA, the worst weather would remain in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The primary concerns with this disturbance remains heavy rain and coastal flooding.
There is a potential for 90L to meander or even stall around the time of landfall early next week, due to a collapse in steering currents. If this happens, rainfall totals could greatly exceed what’s currently forecasted. Also, water temperatures well above normal along the northern gulf coast and could enhance the rainfall associated with this system. It’s still too early to know for sure where exactly 90L will make landfall and who will see the highest rainfall totals. However, SE LA to the western Florida panhandle look to be the areas of highest risk.[/quote
Very good and informative write up