NHC: Fred Expected To Skirt Gulf Coast Of Florida

Daytona Beach, FL - According to the most recent reports from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), it looks likely that Tropical Depression Fred, which was still disorganized as of this morning, could skirt the Gulf Coast of Florida beginning on Saturday (August 14). But, with the positioning of the forecast cone, it’s also possible that Fred could instead jog into the Gulf Coast. Despite which way the storm goes—along the coast or over open water—it looks as if the system will cross over the Panhandle and into Alabama by early Tuesday (August 17). Recent discussion from the NHC says the center of the storm has jogged a bit to the left during the past severalhours, which has brought it closer to the Cuban coast. Fred’s future motion should then take the center along the northern coast of Cuba today, near the Florida Keys and the southwestern coast of Florida by tomorrow, and near or over the coast of the Panhandle Sunday night or Monday. After a northward turn, Fred is expected to move into a weakness in the ridge over the southeastern United States. Forecasters also state the system is experiencing vertical wind shear and land interaction. With that, the intensity forecast calls for only modest strengthening during this time.  Tropical storm warnings are currently in effect for the Florida Keys, while the southwestern coast of Florida is under a tropical storm watch.