Maria Just Won't Go Away...

Maria remains a Cat. 2 Hurricane tonight as she moves painfully slow offshore the East Coast.  It appears her outer winds will battered North Carolina’s Outer Banks, but the core of the storm should turn out to sea late Wednesday into Thursday.   This should put an end to the African Wave train for this year.  Any system that does develop that far out in the Atlantic  at the end of September into October typically makes the turn away from the Gulf.  Not to say we can’t see something form in the Western Caribbean or southern Gulf during the next 10-14 days, but no computer model shows that right now.   We are on the cold front watch for late this week.  It won’t be a sweater blaster, but it should bring some cooler and much drier air.   Early signs of Winter are showing up out west where many high elevation (7,000’+) locations have seen snow falling.   We need the dip in the jet stream currently over the west to shift over the eastern states.  They have been enduring very chilly weather while the east has seen summer-like heat.   It’s only a matter of time (as the days get shorter) before the chill starts a coming and folks complain…it’s too cold!  Until I see the fronts coming and the Gulf waters cool down, I am not allowing the “Fat Lady” to take the stage.   She is still in her Uber and is circling the block.  Far too soon to turn out the lights.  Stay tuned!

 

I have been living here in Louisiana for nearly 40 years.   Over that time I have become a fan of both Tulane & LSU.  My Doctor friend (Rob Muller) has brought me to a number of LSU games for Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.  What a thrill to see Odell Beckham return a punt for a TD several years ago.  The excitement of the crowd was electrifying.  However, I must say I am disturbed by what I saw this past Saturday night.  Sure MSU blew out LSU in the last game.  Sure many season ticket holders didn’t bother to show up (at best 80,000) since it was Syracuse.  What was disturbing is how many folks left at halftime & didn’t come back…how many left in the 3^rd quarter when the game was still in doubt…how many stayed (30,000 at most) to see the Tigers win at the end.   This may not be a good LSU team yet, but to abandon them after only one loss is, well, disturbing.   I remember seeing Nick Saban scold the Alabama fans several years ago for leaving their stadium early.  It worked as most Alabama fans stay to the end.  Perhaps Coach O should do the same?  Tell the fans my team needs you!