LATE AFTERNOON SPOT REPORTS
Panama City…mostly cloudy, wind SSE 20, gusts 32 mph
Ft. Walton (Mary Ester)…light rain, N 12 (only 0.17 rain in the last 6 hours)
Valparaiso…cloudy, NNE 13, (0.23 rain for the last 6 hours)
Pensacola Naval Air Station…cloudy, N 12, gusts 18, no rain last 6 hours
Mobile Brookley Field…cloudy, N 14, gusts 22, no rain
Destin…light rain, N, gusts 21
MOBILE BAY FORECAST AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS
Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect, tonight NE winds 25 to 35 knots (35 knots if 40 mph), becoming east 30 to 40 knots late. Mobile Bay waters very rough. Widespread showers and thunderstorms.
Saturday…SE winds 30 to 40 knots (35 to 46 mph), decreasing late, Bay waters very rough, numerous showers and thunderstorms.
RADAR UPDATE
A doppler radar loop at 4:30 this afternoon seemed to indicate that the center of circulation is trying to move inland in NW Florida near or west of Panama City. However, it is expected to gradually take on a more westward movement. Spiral bands whirling around the circulation have sent a line of showers inland as far north as Monroe and Montgomery County in Alabama and into West and Central Georgia south of Macon.
EXCERPTS FROM THE LATEST ADVISORY
In the official 4:00 p.m. advisory, the tropical depression was located near 29.9N, longitude 86.4W or about 45 miles WSW of Panama City and about 65 miles ESE of Pensacola. Highest sustained winds were around 35 mph with higher gusts. The NHC still thinks that it could become Tropical Storm Jerry before making complete landfall.
A Tropical Storm Warning is still in effect from Apalachicola, Florida westward to the mouth of the Mississippi River, including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Rain amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated amounts to 6 inches, are possible along the path. Isolated spin-off tornadoes are possible over SW Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and SE Alabama through tonight.
OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST
The NHC moves the center toward the WNW with possible landfall near Orange Beach or Gulf Shores, then crossing South Mobile Bay into SE Mississippi. By early Saturday afternoon, the center is expected to be an estimated 40 or 50 miles north of New Orleans and eventually into East/Central Louisiana very early Sunday morning.
Headed out to try a new restaurant in the Riverchase area. Bill Murray will be updating a couple times thsi evening and I will be ready to help again after about 9:45 this evening.
