Gustav – a Bit Faster; Hurricane Warnings Extended West

The late Sunday afternoon advisories/discussions note that Gustav has increase a  bit in speed, now NW 18 mph.  Max winds are 115 mph (Cat. 3) and hurricane warnings have now been expanded west to near High Island, TX.  The large tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall by mid-day Labor Day.  The tropical moisture will continue to work its way northward into West TN as the week progresses.  Rain chances will pick up in earnest by Tuesday.

Gustav Less Than 270 Mi. from Mouth of MS River

Gustav Weakens a Bit; Hurricane WARNINGS Posted

Weather headlines will be all about Gustav and so they should.  Meanwhile, T.S. Hanna is off-stage right.  Our weather will be influenced by a ridge of high pressure so a very tranquil day, albeit a hot one.  We’ll see the arrival of the high outflow cirrus clouds from Gustav.  They will likely do little to hold back temperatures from reaching at least the lower 90s today. Rains from Gustav will likely not reach W. TN until Monday night or Tuesday.  With rain chances likely to be with us through the start of next weekend!

Hurricane Gustav - 425 miles SE of the mouth of the MS River

Cirrus Outflow Clouds from Gustav Spreading North

Current track of Gustav suggests we should see the Cirrus clouds associated with the outflow of the storm come across W. TN skies on Sunday.

Watches Posted for U.S. Gulf Coast

Gustav 4 PM Advisory and Visible Sat Imagery

AT 500 PM EDT…2100 UTC…A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE

NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE

ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER…INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE

PONTCHARTRAIN. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS

ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA…GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

Looking Gustav Right in the Eye!

Visible Sat Image Valid 12:45 PM CDT

Gustav Now a Cat. 4!

000 WTNT62 KNHC 301718 TCUAT2 HURRICANE GUSTAV TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 120 PM EDT SAT AUG 30 2008 DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT GUSTAV HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN AND NOW HAS MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 145 MPH…230 KM/HR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES GUSTAV AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. A SPECIAL ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 200 PM EDT TO MODIFY THE INITIAL AND FORECAST INTENSITIES. THE SPECIAL PUBLIC ADVISORY WILL TAKE THE PLACE OF THE INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC ADVISORY PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR THAT TIME. $$ FORECASTER KNABB

Yike! Could Be “Ike”!!

Gustav’s Track After Landfall