The Beast Is Onshore as Cat. 4, South Florida Reeling...

I don't need to wait for the next NHC advisory at 4 PM since Ian's center is now on the coast of west Florida moving inland.  Watching videos of media standing up out in these ferocious winds is somewhat amusing, but it really is stupid & dangerous.   Each network seems to want to scoop the other & I'm waiting for someone to take a 2 X 4 flying off a building.  I guess we have to have a fatality before common sense wins out?   

Obviously, the cooler & drier air over us and much of the Gulf has been unable to penetrate Ian's circulation.   He had winds to 155 (Cat. 4) at landfall.  Look at these radar views.

According to NHC, landfall was over Cayo Costa island north of Sanibel Island at 2:05 PM CDT.

These pictures show where Cayo Costa is located.  It appears to be a barrier island (arrow middle pic) with no structures.  However, just to the north is Three Sisters Island that has many homes on it.   I trust folks listened and got out of harm's way?

Remember, the surge and worst part of any hurricane is typically to the right of the center line track.  The Tampa Bay area has once again dodged the bullet of a major hurricane.  Sure you're getting the rains & winds, but the winds rotating around Ian are from the NE across Tampa bay blowing the waters out.  The bottom picture was sent to me by my dear friend Tom Boyle taken from Bayshore Boulevard overlooking Tampa Bay.  He said normally the waters are 4 feet deep.  Clearly the bottom is exposed so they missed the big surge.  While much of south Florida is enduring and will continue to suffer for many more hours, Ian's circulation is bringing down cooler and drier air to the northern Gulf coast.

Sooner or later, that air will begin to weaken Ian as it moves up the East coast becoming more like a winter-like Nor'Easter.

I'm impressed to see dew points in the 30s as far south as Pensacola.  That is really dry air.  We should stay this way for the rest of this week.

If you don't mind the brisk winds, this is beautiful October weather in late September.  Things will settle down over the weekend into next week.  Models have no new threats for the next 7-10 days.

Folks far inland over Central Florida will be stunned by how strong Ian's winds are.  Disney World may not open until next week.  Stay tuned!