Gramps is Coming Home...

As promised, I would return on-air to assist the FOX 8 Weather Team IF a storm enters the Gulf this season.  99-L was upgraded to TD 9 this afternoon despite having a ragged appearance on satellite loops.  It has a much better appearance on the composite radar loop and NHC is expecting it to become a named storm on Monday.   With that in mind, I will return to the FOX 8 airwaves Monday morning from 6-9 AM and then again for the afternoon and evening programs.  So let’s see what we have tonight.  TD 9 is fighting northerly wind shear that is not allowing T-Storms to rotate around its center.  Half of the circulation is still over Cuba so little, if any, strengthening is expected until late Monday or Tuesday.    As it drifts farther to the west, wind shear should weaken allowing for TS Hermine or Ian to be named (depending on the system off the Carolina coast.)  RIGHT NOW, there is a well-defined UPPER low over the western Gulf.  IF TD 9 gets stronger, it would be picked up and turn to the north on Late Tuesday or Wednesday.   IF it stays weak, it could keep going westward never affecting the northern Gulf.  That would be the best scenario for us.  However, both the Euro & GFS models are bringing this system  to the north & then NE making landfall in north central FLORIDA on Thursday into Friday.  That track would also minimize any impacts to SE LA/MS.  BUT, this remains a weak system…computer models do not handle weak systems (Isaac 2012) very well…models have been WRONG all week…hence I will return on-air to temper the hype that will surely erupt during the next 3-4 days.    Let’s go about Monday as usual.  Check with FOX 8 in the morning and afternoon for my take and hopefully we’ll start to see some agreement in model predictions and real reality.    I can assure you, our FOX 8 Weather team will not just repeat what NHC is saying but will go in depth to explain best we can what will happen.  Over the decades, my knowledge plus experience earned your TRUST.   Nothing has changed.  I will continue to earn that TRUST.  We’ll be there for you again this time and perhaps next as some models are predicting a stronger storm in the Gulf in the 10-14 day time frame.  Stay tuned and we’ll see you in the morning!