Triple Tropical Threat for the United States & Mexico This Weekend

As of Thursday evening, three Tropical Systems were underway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. All three will have varying impacts on the United States with one of them having an impact locally.

Hurricane Isaias, as of 4PM Thursday, was at Category 2 strength over the open waters of the Gulf. This system will be getting pulled northward on Friday. This puts the northern Gulf Coast in the crosshairs for the first U.S. hurricane landfall in 2 years. While the forecast path may change, the most likely location for Isaias to come ashore will be near Pensacola, Florida as Category 1 or 2 hurricane. In addition to 100mph winds, this may bring damaging storm surge and flooding to this region. All impacts from the system will likely stay east of Green Country.

Tropical Storm Rachel over the Eastern Pacific will take an unusual turn northeastward. It's path will take it over anomalously warm waters off the Baja peninsula allowing it to maintain some strength and organization as makes landfall near or just south of the U.S./Mexico border. The system would then race inland with heavy rainfall and gusty winds through the Desert Southwest - a place that rarely ever sees these systems. Tropical systems rarely make landfall this far north on the Pacific coastline due to colder waters and destructive wind shear to a cyclone like this.

Finally, Tropical Storm Simon is strengthening into a major hurricane through the end of the week as it moves toward the west coast of Mexico. This will be the strongest of the three systems more than likely. After a destructive blow on the coast, the system will fall apart over the mountain ranges in Mexico. However, the moisture from it will continue to lift north into the Southern Plains. That added moisture will interact with an incoming storm system that could bring even heavier rainfall to parts of Oklahoma by midweek next week.

For the latest local KJRH forecast for Green Country, click here.

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