Week Ahead Forecast New Jersey to Southern New England

With Hurricane Irma being front and center today making landfall in South Florida, our local weather has taken a bit of a back seat. However with the world of extremes we have a category hurricane to the south and beautiful weather across the Northeast & Middle Atlantic states and that world will continue for us as we begin the new week.

SATELLITE LOOP

High pressure over the Northeast is keeping thing dry sunny and very pleasant for this time of year. We have seeing highs during the day into the 70s and nights in the 40s and 40s. We will do it again Monday and Tuesday but temperatures will be trending higher the next two days as we should see highs in the upper 70s to near 80 on Monday and the lower 80s on Tuesday. No activity of consequence will be on the radar for the next 2 days.

REGIONAL RADAR

Wednesday might be the one day this week where there is the risk for a shower or two with an approaching front and perhaps some small areas of moisture from Hurricane Irma. Storms that go east of the Appalachians can be troublesome but Irma is actually going to track northwestward and then westward into the Tennessee Valley and gradually fall apart with little consequence to us. Other the the risk for a few showers Wednesday we should see clouds and some sun. Thursday and Friday it will be back to sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. Overall a very good week of weather is ahead of us.

MIAMI RADAR HURRICANE IRMA

TAMPA BAY RADAR HURRICANE IRMA

The two radar loops above show real time Hurricane Irma as it tracks toward landfall shortly over southwest Florida. The eye is coming onshore between Fort Myers & Naples. Hurricane conditions will continue to spread northward through the state of Florida this afternoon and tropical storm conditions into Georgia & South Carolina overnight and into Monday.

..IRMA CONTINUES TO BATTER SOUTH FLORIDA…
…STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED IN MARCO ISLAND/NAPLES AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS…

SUMMARY OF 200 PM EDT…1800 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…25.6N 81.8W
ABOUT 35 MI…55 KM S OF NAPLES FLORIDA
ABOUT 70 MI…115 KM S OF FT. MYERS FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…120 MPH…195 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 350 DEGREES AT 12 MPH…19 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…936 MB…27.64 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The government of Cuba has discontinued the Hurricane Warning for
the Cuban provinces of Matanzas and La Habana.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
* South Santee River southward to Jupiter Inlet
* North Miami Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to the
Ochlockonee River
* Florida Keys
* Tampa Bay

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Fernandina Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to Indian
Pass
* Florida Keys
* Lake Okeechobee
* Florida Bay

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* North of Fernandina Beach to Edisto Beach

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* West of Indian Pass to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
* North of Fernandina Beach to South Santee River
* Bimini and Grand Bahama

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening
inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline,
during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations. For a
depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation. Persons
located within these areas should take all necessary actions to
protect life and property from rising water and the potential for
other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other
instructions from local officials.

Interests elsewhere in the southeastern United States should monitor
the progress of Irma.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States,
including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor
products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast
office. For storm information specific to your area outside the
United States, please monitor products issued by your national
meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located
near latitude 25.6 North, longitude 81.8 West. Irma is moving
toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h), and a north-northwestward
motion with a further increase in forward speed is expected later
today, with that motion continuing through Monday. On the forecast
track, the center of Irma should move near or over the southwest
and west coast of the Florida Peninsula later today through
tonight. Irma should then move inland over northern Florida and
southwestern Georgia Monday afternoon.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher
gusts. Irma is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale. While weakening is forecast, Irma is expected
to remain a powerful hurricane while it moves near or along the west
coast of Florida.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from
the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 220
miles (350 km). A 62 mph (100 km/h) sustained wind and 99 mph (158
km/h) gust was recently reported at the Federal Aviation
Administration station at Miami International Airport. An 81 mph
(130 km/h) wind gust was recently reported at the Miami Weather
Forecast Office/National Hurricane Center.

The minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Hurricane
Hunter aircraft is 936 mb (27.64 inches).