Weekly Weather Watch: Tuesday, September 24th, 2024
Watching a probable major hurricane approaching the Gulf Coast with most significant impact coming to Florida. The impact from heavy rainfall will continue through next week for the Southeast. Elsewhere, milder temperatures for the week.
HEADLINERS:
ON THE RADAR:
SEVERE WEATHER AREAS:
IN THE GAUGES:
Significant risk of flooding for the Southeast, additional moisture for the Northwest, and very little moisture for the Southwest to the Northern Plains.
GRAB A RULER:
There is very little snowfall in the States, but Canada has some heavier snowfall ahead.
TROPICAL TIDINGS:
KEY MESSAGES: 1. Helene is forecast to intensify and be near hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea early Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with hurricane conditions possible. 2. Helene is expected to rapidly intensify over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and be a major hurricane when it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday. The risk of impacts from life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds continues to increase along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast. Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches are in effect for much of that area and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials. 3. Helene will bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean, which will cause considerable flooding and mudslides across western Cuba. Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of Florida, with isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley Wednesday through Friday. Minor to isolated moderate river flooding will be possible.
RECORDS MADE TO BE BROKEN:
ARE YOU CIRRUS?
On this day in weather history:
1926 At Riverside Ranger Station in Yellowstone National Park, the temperature dropped to -9 degrees F, making this the lowest recorded temperature in the United States in September.
1985 The national media dubbed Hurricane Gloria the "Killer Storm of the Century". This nickname turned the entire East Coast into panic.
1939 A tropical storm called "El Cordonazo" ("the lash" or "whip") made landfall between Los Angeles and San Diego. It was the only time in the 20th Century that the center of a tropical storm made landfall on the California coast (at Long Beach).
1988 The earliest frost of record hit the southern states of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida.
As we close out 2025 and ring in the new year, the weather pattern stays anything but quiet. A multi-day lake-effect snow event is burying areas downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario, where over 3 feet of snow could fall in the most persistent bands—creating whiteout squalls and treacherous travel through New Year's Day. Meanwhile, Arctic air is spilling deep into the Southeast, sending temperatures below freezing as far south as Florida, with frost and freeze alerts in place. On the other side of the country, a Pacific storm system will bring rounds of heavy rain and a flash flood threat to Southern California, especially around Los Angeles, starting late New Year's Eve. Elsewhere, a couple of fast-moving clippers will spread freezing rain and snow to Alberta, then snow across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and into New England, while a developing storm may bring soaking rain and thunderstorms from the Deep South to the Southeast Coast by the weekend. Even Northern California faces an atmospheric river event late week, setting the stage for an active and disruptive start to 2026.