Matt Lanza

Western Gulf Coast to get soaked from major moisture plume as potential new system moves toward Florida

A happy Father’s Day to those celebrating today! We’re here on Sunday with the latest for you on what continues to be an active June in terms of impacts.

Headlines

  • Tropical development is very possible in the Bay of Campeche this week.
  • Regardless, the pattern supports a very heavy rainfall threat for the Texas and Louisiana coasts into Mexico as well, with flash flooding becoming increasingly likely.
  • A new disturbance may track toward Florida late in the week, but most impacts should be north of the areas worst impacted by last week’s rains.
  • Another western Gulf system is possible after this week with more rain in Texas.

Potential for widespread heavy rain and flooding in coastal Texas

The main story from an impacts perspective this week will almost certainly be the situation in the western Gulf of Mexico. We are still monitoring the potential for development from a system in the Bay of Campeche this week.

The National Hurricane Center continues moderate odds (60%) for development this week in the Bay of Campeche. (NOAA NHC)

The chances are fairly modest still, up to around 60 percent, and it would appear that any development should have a pretty low ceiling for intensity. The system should be inland over Mexico by Wednesday or early Thursday.

European ensemble members show a likely track of whatever forms in the Bay of Campeche to be toward the coast of Mexico and inland by later Wednesday or early Thursday. (Weathernerds.org)

The problem is that the overall pattern into the western Gulf remains extremely favorable for heavy rainfall over a very wide area. Extremely deep tropical moisture will be pushing in over top of the tropical low that moves into Mexico. This will crash into Texas on Tuesday and especially Wednesday. The forecast for precipitable water, or the amount of moisture available in the atmosphere will be running near both daily historical maxes and potentially all-time record levels for the Texas Coastal Bend. This means that rain will be efficient and heavy.

Rain totals over the next 7 days will potentially exceed a foot on the Texas coast, with lesser but still hefty amounts possible inland. Flash flooding is likely in spots and at times, especially Tuesday night and Wednesday when most of this falls. (Pivotal Weather)

Rain totals have been escalating all weekend and it now appears that perhaps a foot or more rain may fall on the Texas coast. Lesser amounts are likely inland, but they will still be heavy, and it cannot be stated more plainly that flash flooding and potentially serious flash flooding is possible anywhere between Beaumont and Brownsville, depending on exactly where the heaviest rainfall orients.

The Weather Prediction Center has already highlighted the Texas and western Louisiana coasts for a moderate risk (level 3/4) of heavy rainfall on Tuesday. (NOAA WPC)

A moderate risk (level 3/4) of excessive rainfall and flooding is already in place for portions of Texas and Louisiana on Tuesday, including Houston, Galveston, and Beaumont. Suffice to say, this is yet another example of potentially a low-end storm or nameless storm that can produce significant rain and flooding impacts. Folks in Texas and southwest Louisiana should monitor forecast developments closely today and tomorrow. Stick with Space City Weather for those in Houston for the latest.

A new disturbance tracks toward Florida or the Southeast this week

We left you on Friday with the idea that the focus would move to the western Gulf. What has changed since Friday is that a new tropical disturbance seems likely to form north of the Bahamas by Tuesday. The good news is that this will quickly track west, arriving in or near Florida by Thursday and eventually inland through the Southeast.

A new tropical disturbance will likely form north of the Bahamas and track toward Florida this week. (Tropical Tidbits)

The NHC has a 30 percent chance of development with this one as it tracks west. It would seem that whatever forms will probably be lower-end in nature, but given the amount of rain that recently fell in Florida we’ll obviously want to watch this closely. At present, most model guidance seems to favor it tracking toward areas north of the Space Coast. In that case, South Florida will be fine, with most heavier rain falling toward Jacksonville, Georgia, or South Carolina. As always, it will be good to monitor things the next couple days just to make sure everything behaves with this one.

Beyond this week

It still appears that another system may try to form, spiraling around the Central American gyre next week. Details remain uncertain, but it’s pretty evident that modeling supports a continued rainy pattern in Texas.

Rainfall of 200 to 500 percent of normal is likely on the Texas coast next week as well, which could further exacerbate flooding issues. (StormVista Weather Models)

Both the GFS and European ensemble members shown above indicate agreement on about 200 to 500 percent of normal rainfall for the 8 to 14 day period. This would be 1 to 2 inches more rainfall than usual, on average. So we’ll need to continue monitoring Texas and Louisiana for potential flooding concerns into next week too.

Outside of the western Gulf it looks quiet, and hopefully that area will begin to quiet down a bit too after next week.

Focus on Florida will shift away this weekend, as western Gulf gyrates with activity next week

Headlines

  • Florida rains will slowly subside the next couple days.
  • System likely in the Bay of Campeche next week, probably lower-end and heading quickly into Mexico.
  • Heavy rain around a broader easterly flow in the Gulf will become increasingly likely on the Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico coasts later this weekend and next week.
  • Additional rain and additional lower-end tropical development is possible the week of June 24th in Texas and/or Mexico.

Florida still soggy

Yesterday’s rains weren’t quite as bad as what we saw on Wednesday, but at this point, it’s just a lot of water and time for a break in Florida. More storms have fired up this afternoon and locally heavy downpours are likely between the southwest coast the urban corridor on I-95.

Scattered heavy downpours and localized flooding remain possible into this evening across much of South Florida. (GR Level 3)

The entire southern half of the Peninsula has seen north of 3 or 4 inches of rain this week, with 10 inches or more over a wide swath across Alligator Alley and spotty 15 to 20 inch totals in a few locations. We’ll see another half-inch to inch with locally higher amounts possible through tomorrow. The clean up can hopefully get underway in earnest after today or tomorrow.

CAGgy consternation in the Gulf

We continue to see plentiful signs that a weak system will develop in the Bay of Campeche next week.

About a 50/50 chance of development exists next week in the Bay of Campeche with any system likely ending up lower end and heading for Mexico. (NOAA NHC)

The National Hurricane Center continues to assign about 50 percent odds of development next week from this disturbance, which is currently just developing on the Pacific side of Central America. It will become embedded in this Central American Gyre (CAG) setup over the Yucatan which is a common pathway to development in June. You can learn more about CAGs here, which is a pretty well-put together article.

Anyway, the path for this feels pretty straightforward again today, with the expectation that it will produce a middling system that tracks around the Yucatan and west or west-northwest into Mexico next week.

Western Gulf’s turn to get soaked

Any direct impacts from a tropical system will likely be confined to the coast of Mexico near where it comes ashore. But broadly, this pattern is going to continue to produce a long “fetch” of moisture across the Gulf of Mexico.

Forecast from the European model for precipitable water next Wednesday. A lot of moisture will make its way to the Texas and Mexico coasts. (Pivotal Weather)

The map above shows precipitable water for next Wednesday, which is a measure of how much moisture is in the atmosphere. Values north of 2 inches like we see plentifully in Texas and Mexico usually produce locally heavy rainfall. And indeed, the rainfall forecast for the Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico coasts is pretty significant.

Total rainfall through next Friday totals around 4 to 8 inches on the coast from Louisiana into Mexico, with locally higher amounts possible. Rain totals will drop considerably as you move inland. (NOAA WPC)

I will emphasize for our Louisiana and Texas readers that this will potentially be a very sharp rainfall gradient. In other words, you could see 6 to 10 inches of rain on the immediate coast in, say, Galveston versus a more manageable 2 to 5 inches or so in Houston. So the highest impacts will very likely be on the literal coast. Same goes for Corpus Christi, Brownsville, and the Louisiana coast. Mexico is likely to see more widespread rainfall due to terrain considerations and their proximity to the tropical system, whatever it becomes.

Beyond next week?

A second system may follow as the CAG begins to break down the week of June 24th. You can safely ignore some of the silly GFS operational model solutions for now. But it appears that something is there. That system may or may not develop, which is to say that we don’t currently think this is going to be a huge deal. That said, the wet pattern into Mexico and southern Texas is likely to continue into that week.

The rainfall outlook from both the GFS (left) and Euro (right) ensemble models suggests rain totals of 200 to 400 percent of normal near the Texas and Mexico coasts from next Friday through the following Friday, June 28th. (StormVista Weather Models)

With about 200 to 400 percent of normal rainfall expected on the Texas and Mexico coasts, we may begin talking more about flooding for some areas. Heavy rains may also linger to the north. More on this next week.

We’ll take a breather tomorrow and come back on Sunday with the latest!

Next wave of heavy rain pushing across South Florida, as high flooding risks continue

Headlines

  • Additional heavy rain is likely in Florida today, with a high risk for flooding and excessive totals in South Florida, including the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas and Naples also.
  • Rain, ideally more manageable, will shift to Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico next week, while a separate tropical system may form in the Bay of Campeche and track into Mexico.
  • An additional tropical entity may try to form the week of June 24th in the western Gulf.

Florida flooding risks still not over

After a wild day yesterday with flash flood emergencies posted between Miami and West Palm Beach, we’re seeing the next round of heavy rainfall pushing across the Peninsula from northwest to southeast.

Rain will continue to drench the Florida Peninsula today, with more flooding likely in parts of South Florida. (College of DuPage)

Yesterday was the third wettest day since 2000 in Fort Lauderdale with 9.54 inches of rainfall. It was Miami’s fifth wettest day since 2000 with just over 6 inches of rain. So far this week, some parts of the immediate coast have seen upwards of 20 inches of rainfall.

Around 16 to 20 inches of rain has fallen this week north of Miami Beach. (NOAA NSSL)

North Miami has had 20.43″, Hallandale and Hollywood are over 19 inches, and not to be outdone, Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County has seen 25 inches of rain!

Today should hopefully the last really dicey day for Florida, but it’s definitely not looking great with all this moisture inbound. As a result, the Weather Prediction Center has upgraded South Florida to a high risk of excessive rainfall and flash flooding. Anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of additional rain are possible today, with locally higher amounts. The atmosphere is about as juiced up as you’ll ever see in June in Florida, which means that it will be capable of dumping very heavy rainfall at very high rates.

A high risk of flash flooding exists today between Naples and Miami, with as much as 8 to 10 inches possible in the hardest hit areas. (NOAA WPC)

The hope is that the rain becomes more intermittent and a little less intense for Friday and the weekend. There will still likely be some showers or heavy rain around, but it should space itself out a bit.

Invest 90L’s future murky

Meanwhile, Invest 90L, which helped contribute to the massive rains in Florida yesterday is on its way out over the Atlantic. Odds of development are minimal, and for all intents and purposes, this should be a non-event to monitor.

Invest 90L has a lot of convection (thunderstorms), but it lacks any meaningful organization at this time. (Weathernerds.org)

Next week’s potential Gulf system

Meanwhile, the odds of development in the western Gulf of Mexico continue to inch upwards today. The National Hurricane Center is now assigning a 40 percent chance of development in the Bay of Campeche for next week.

Odds of Bay of Campeche development next week are around 40 percent now, as most modeling suggests a disturbance and environment favorable for something to briefly spin up. (NOAA NHC)

What to make of this? As we’ve been discussing this week, the moisture axis aimed at Florida this week will reorient next week as high pressure sets up over the Eastern U.S., kicking off a pretty significant heat wave for much of the country. This will direct high moisture into Louisiana and Texas, coupled with the developing low in the Bay of Campeche.

Moisture will shift into the western Gulf next week, as tropical development may also occur in the Bay of Campeche. (Tropical Tidbits)

You need to think of this as two separate but related entities. On the one hand, we’re going to see a broad “fetch” across the Gulf allowing for more numerous showers and thunderstorms in Texas and Louisiana perhaps, as well as northern Mexico. The hope is that most of this rain will be manageable in nature with only minor flooding concerns at times. We’ll keep watching.

Rainfall through next Thursday morning will likely be on the order of 2 to 5 inches on the immediate coast, with locally higher amounts possible between Mexico and Louisiana. (Pivotal Weather)

On the other hand, a formal tropical system will likely try to form in the Bay of Campeche, likely also directed west or west-northwest, which pushes it rather quickly ashore in Mexico by later next week. Rain will be mostly welcome in Mexico, which, as we noted yesterday has been mired in record heat and drought. There’s been hardly a cooler than normal day there since April.

More Gulf gyration to come?

We have a little bit of a new wrinkle today, and this involves the potential for a second western Gulf system by next weekend or so. This “gyre” type setup in Central America is causing us headaches, and another disturbance may pivot from the southwest Caribbean to just north of the Yucatan by next weekend. From there it would probably move quickly north toward Texas, Louisiana, or Mississippi.

Potential for another western Gulf system next week is supported to varying levels by both the European and GFS ensemble models. (Tropical Tidbits)

Whether there will be enough time or a stable enough environment for more development to occur, it’s too soon to say. But the timeline is next weekend into early the week of June 24th. We’ll keep you posted.

Gulf of Mexico’s early season party in Florida will move westward next week

Headlines

  • An additional 6 to 12 inches of rainfall is likely to exacerbate developing flooding problems in portions of South Florida.
  • Potential tropical development in the Atlantic from the Florida system is possible but unlikely.
  • Moisture shifts west across the Gulf next week and will impact Texas and Mexico with locally heavy rain.
  • Drought relief likely in eastern Mexico.
  • A potential for a short-lived tropical system in the Bay of Campeche could locally enhance rain totals in Mexico next week as well.

Florida flooding starting to take shape

A 48 hour rainfall map in Florida really tells the story.

Estimated rainfall totals of 8-10 inches or more have popped up near Fort Lauderdale, rural southwest Florida, and most notably in Sarasota. (NOAA NSSL)

Sarasota in particular has seen some pretty rough flooding. The highest total through earlier this morning was 11.38″ just southeast of Sarasota. Radar shows heavy rain continuing to push east or east-northeast across Florida in a pretty stable fashion. That means a continued dumpage of rain for the region.

Rain, heavy in spots continues to push east-northeast across South Florida today, with a good bit more coming. (College of DuPage)

How much more rain is coming? A lot. Flooding problems are likely to get worse across Florida in the coming days, and flood watches are hoisted from Bradenton south and east to Miami and into the Keys.

An additional 6 to 12 inches of rain is likely in South Florida, and there will certainly be localized higher amounts. Those will be the areas most likely to see bad flooding. (Pivotal Weather)

With another 6 to 12 inches of rain on the rain, it’s safe to say flooding is likely at times and in spots, especially those areas that see localized higher amounts. This is a true firehose of moisture the next few days, eradicating drought and causing new problems.

Atlantic development possible but probably unlikely

We are still watching for potential that we can spit out the A-storm or a depression from the morass over Florida. Low pressure will push off the coast today and into the Atlantic over the next few days. It’s been dubbed Invest 90L. As a reminder, “invests” are convenient ways for meteorologists to run some extra modeling on disturbances that may become tropical systems. The list cycles from 90 to 99L in the Atlantic and then starts over again. Invest 90L is our first of the season.

As it scoots northeast, we’re still hanging around a 20 percent chance from the National Hurricane Center that we see a tropical system develop from this.

Invest 90L may develop over the next few days, but the odds seem very low, and no impacts to land are expected. (NOAA NHC)

Personally, I don’t see it happening, but for those who are interested in mostly meaningless tropical activity, we can watch it over the coming days.

What’s going to happen in the western Gulf?

The next phase in our party in the Gulf will be this moisture plume shifting directions. We can track this by using the GFS model’s precipitable water forecast (PWAT). PWAT is basically a measure of how much moisture is available in the atmosphere. Once you get up over 2 inches or so, you’re talking about a very, very juiced atmosphere capable of big time rainfall. Over the next 8 days (based on the most recent GFS model that came out this morning), we can see how the plume shifts to focus on the central Gulf Coast, then Texas, then Mexico by later next week.

Precipitable water forecast from the GFS model today showing moisture pivoting across the Gulf from Florida this week to Mexico by late next week. (Pivotal Weather)

The good news for Louisiana and Texas is that this appears to keep moving, eventually setting up in Mexico as we see potential tropical development in the Bay of Campeche next week. As of right now, the NHC has given that area about a 20 percent chance of developing once it establishes there next Sunday or Monday or so. Based on most available operational model and ensemble model guidance, we would expect any development to be rather sloppy and quickly come inland over Mexico, probably near Tampico, give or take. Obviously, we’re a week out so things will change, but that’s the best guess right now.

Meanwhile, as all that moisture comes west, a couple important things will happen. First, we could see locally heavy rainfall along the Gulf Coast. These types of scenarios often lead to the first tier of coastal counties getting drenched while the next tier of counties inland has slightly less intense rainfall.

Rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches are expected through next Wednesday morning, with slightly higher amounts possible near Port Arthur, Galveston, Corpus Christi, or Brownsville. (Pivotal Weather)

As of now, we’ll say 2 to 5 inches on the coastline between Mobile, AL and northern Mexico, with higher amounts possible in localized areas on the Texas coast. Interestingly, Mexico could see significant rainfall from this. They had a serious drought heading into last month. And last month was exceptionally hot and dry. So they need rain.

The drought monitor map for Mexico heading into last month; conditions have only worsened since. (US Drought Monitor)

The hope is that it won’t be too much rain too fast. But at least this should help eastern Mexico begin to slip out of drought. It will also allow for cooler weather across Mexico, something that area could use as well.