We have been advertising an early-season tropical system for weeks, so when (pat on back) Tropical Storm Andrea formed Wednesday evening in the Gulf of Mexico it should have come as no surprise. The storm was looking pretty wound up as it approached the Florida Panhandle Thursday morning. Winds were up to 60 mph, and there was at least one reported tornado in Florida as squally rain bands moved onshore. Here are some of the latest thoughts regarding the evolution of and impact from Andrea.
- Models agree that the storm will move up the Eastern Seaboard and over or just east of Southern New England
- There is a significant heavy rain threat with the storm and moisture streaming ahead of it Friday into Saturday morning
- The key to flooding concerns for SNE will be how much rain falls in advance of the system Friday into early Friday night
- Heavy rain is likely as the storm quickly passes SNE late Friday night into early Saturday
- The rain should shut off very quickly sometime between 5-10 am on Saturday
- A passing shower is possible Saturday afternoon, but, overall, it will be much nicer with some sun and highs in the 70s
- Although there is a tornado threat in Florida and the Southeast, it looks like the track over or just east of SNE will limit the potential for severe weather in SNE
- The heaviest rain is likely to be over CT, RI, and interior MA.
- The potential exists for the hardest hit areas to receive 4″ of rain
- Wind will be a non-factor for most of SNE based on the current forecast track. There may be a brief period of strong winds on the Cape/Islands if the storm travels a bit farther west than currently forecast. Weakening tropical systems carry most of their wind on the east side of the storm.
