Ida is no longer a tropical system and as expected has weakened with max winds at only 35 mph. Again, the big issue will be large amounts of rain over the southeast. Ida will become engulfed in a frontal boundary over the next two days.
Ida Weakens to a Tropical Storm
Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it encounters shearing and cooler waters in the northern gulf. All hurricane warnings along the coast have been changed to tropical storm warnings. Ida's winds are sustained at 70 mph which makes the system a strong tropical storm. Landfall is expected early tomorrow morning along Alabama and Florida's coast. As it stands now, the biggest threats from Ida will be heavy rain and wind gusts around 60 mph. The heaviest rain will affect Alabama, Georgia and Florida with several inches possible.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Grand Isle, Louisiana including New Orleans eastward to Aucilla River, Florida.
Again, we are not going to see any major effects from Ida. Winds will be breezy out of the north over the next couple of days. No coastal flooding is expected.
Stay tuned for the latest info through the next 24 hours.
Ida Speeds Up in Gulf
Monday, November 9, 2009 12:00AM:
HURRICANE IDA (24.4N 87.5W 105mph winds moving NNW at 15mph)
Ida continues her northward trek toward the central Gulf Coast, picking up forward speed while maintaining category two intensity. Ida continues to hold her own as she begins to move over cooler waters with increased wind shear. We’ll watch Ida as she sets aim along the MS/AL/FL panhandle coastlines. She’s forecast to make landfall early Tuesday morning, bringing hurricane force winds, coastal water rise, and heavy rains of 3-6” to portions of MS/AL and areas north. We’ll continue to monitor Ida before, during, and after landfall. SWLA will be spared from any direct impacts from Ida.
-Meteorologist Jeff Jumper
Category Two Ida Moving North in Gulf
Sunday, November 8, 2009 9:00PM:
HURRICANE IDA (23.7N 86.7W 105mph winds moving NNW at 12mph)
Ida continues to progress north-northwestward, picking up speed and holding intensity as a category two hurricane with winds of 105mph. Ida is not anticipated to intensify much more after the next 3-6 hours as she treks over cooler waters. She is forecast to make landfall somewhere along the MS/AL/FL coastline in the early morning hours Tuesday. Because of this, a hurricane warning has been issued from Pascagoula, MS eastward to Indian Pass, FL. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Grand Isle, LA to Pascagoula, MS (now including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain) and then from Indian pass, FL to Aucilla River, FL. A warning means hurricane/tropical storm conditions are expected within twenty-four hours. Fortunately, residents of SWLA will not have to deal with any impacts from Ida as she continues to travel northward. Ida will be thrown eastward through Tuesday by the frontal system that will pass through SWLA. Impacts for MS/FL include heavy rains, minor/moderate coastal flooding, and strong hurricane to tropical storm force winds. We’ll keep an eye on Ida for you as she moves through the Gulf.
-Meteorologist Jeff Jumper
Ida Update
Sunday, November 8, 2009 6:00PM:
HURRICANE IDA (23.1N 86.5W 105mph winds moving NNW at 10mph)
Ida has moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico with winds of 105mph. She will soon move into waters that are not as conducive for strengthening due to lower temperatures. Also, she’s still on target to interact with some higher levels of wins shear that will help to prevent any additional intensification beyond the next six to twelve hours. The official forecast keeps Ida at hurricane strength with winds of 75mph as she interacts with the Gulf Coast late Monday into Tuesday. The hurricane watch remains in effect for SELA to the western pan handle of Florida. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible with the next 36 hours. Again, Ida is not forecast to directly affect SWLA. Our rains in the forecast are coming form a separate surge of moisture associated with a non-tropical system. We will be breezy thanks our location remaining between a tight difference between high and low pressure. We’ll have a full update with the new track at 9PM when the next advisory becomes available.
CLICK HERE for my video Sunday Evening Tropical Weather Discussion.
-Meteorologist Jeff Jumper
Ida Remains a Category Two Hurricane
Sunday, November 8, 2009 3:00PM:
HURRICANE IDA (22.2 N 86.3 W 100mph winds moving NNW at 9mph)
Ida continues to churn as a formidable category two hurricane as it moves slowly north-northwestward in the Yucatan channel. The hurricane has a small window of fairly conducive environmental factors through the remainder of Sunday. By early Monday morning, Ida will turn more northward and move into waters that are cooler, as well as into an more hostile atmosphere when it comes to stronger wind shear. Ida already looks like she's beginning to take a hit from wind shear. However, despite the cooler waters and higher wind shear, Ida's demise is forecast to be a slow one, and now the official forecast has Ida nearing the central Gulf coast, between SELA and the western panhandle of Florida, as a category one hurricane. The forecast puts the hurricane near the Gulf coast sometime late Monday night into Tuesday morning. At this time, Ida will begin absorption by a frontal system and begin losing it's tropical structure. Again, we are strongly confident Ida will not directly impact our weather here in SWLA directly. Strong winds and some rougher coastal waters would be the harshest indirect impacts form Ida across SWLA as we head late into Monday. Keep it here for the latest updates, and be sure to track along with us on the 7Stormteam Hurricane page as well as on your cell.
-Meteorologist Jeff Jumper
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