Tag Archives: Jackson

Tropical Depression Ida Brings Rain and Storms to Southeast U.S.

Tropical Depression Ida brought rain and thunderstorms to the southeast U.S. on Monday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Depression Ida was located at latitude 32.6°N and longitude 90.3°W which put it about 20 miles (30 km) north-northwest of Jackson, Mississippi. Ida was moving toward the north-northeast at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.

Former Hurricane Ida weakened to a tropical depression over Mississippi on Monday afternoon. Even though the speed of the wind circulating around Ida decreased, Tropical Depression Ida was still dropping locally heavy rain and generating a few tornadoes over the southeast U.S. Thunderstorms in bands on the eastern side of Ida were dropping locally heavy rain over parts of Mississippi, Alabama, northwest Florida and northwestern Georgia. Flash Flood Watches were in effect for all of those places. Tornadoes were reported in southeastern Mississippi, and southwestern and central Alabama.

Electricity was still out in all of New Orleans. Southerly winds blowing around the eastern side of Tropical Depression Ida’s circulation were still pushing water toward the coast. Those winds were blowing to near tropical storm force in some locations. A weather station at Fort Morgan, Alabama was reporting a sustained wind speed of 38 m.p.h. (61 km/h) and a wind gust of 47 m.p.h. (76 km/h). The water levels had decreased along the coast, but the persistent southerly winds were preventing the water levels from returning to normal. The water levels should continue to decrease when Tropical Depression Ida moves farther away from the coast.

Tropical Depression Ida will move northeast during the next 72 hours. The center of Ida will cross Tennessee on Tuesday. Ida could be over West Virginia on Wednesday and it could reach the east coast of the U.S. on Thursday. Tropical Depression Ida will continue to drop locally heavy rain over the eastern U.S. The circulation around Ida will interact with a cold front moving slowly south toward the Ohio River. The interaction between Ida and the cold front could enhance rainfall over the Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys. Flash Flood Watches are in effect across the region from Tennessee to New Jersey.

Elsewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Julian made a transition to an extratropical cyclone west of the Azores on Monday morning and Tropical Storm Kate developed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Ida was located at latitude 22.7°N and longitude 50.9°W which put it about 805 miles (1295 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Kate was moving toward the north at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.

Tropical Depression Cristobal Brings Rain to Lower Mississippi River Valley

Tropical Depression Cristobal brought rain to the lower Mississippi River Valley on Monday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Depression Cristobal was located at latitude 34.8°N and longitude 92.8°W which put it about 10 miles (15 km) west of Little Rock, Arkansas.  Cristobal was moving toward the north-northwest at 17 m.p.h. (28 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 994 mb.

Tropical Depression Cristobal moved northward across Louisiana and Arkansas on Monday.  Steadier rain fell in the northern part of the circulation around Cristobal.  Diverging air from a surface high pressure system east of the Great Lakes converged with the circulation around the northern side of Tropical Depression Cristobal to produce rising motion.  The rising motion produced the steadier rain.  Thunderstorms in bands in the southern and eastern parts of Cristobal dropped locally heavy rain over parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  Jackson, Mississippi received 2.49 inches (6.3 cm) of rain.  Little Rock, Arkansas received 1.49 inches (3.8 cm) of rain.

Tropical Depression Cristobal will move around the western side of a high pressure system.  The high will steer Cristobal toward the north during the next several days.  The circulation around Tropical Depression Cristobal retained tropical characteristics on Monday night.  Radiosonde data from Little Rock and Jackson, Mississippi showed that there was still a warm core in the middle troposphere.  Cristobal is forecast to make a gradual transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next 24 to 36 hours.  The circulation could strengthen during the extratropical transition and a Gale Warning has been issued for Lake Michigan.  Flood Watches were also in effect for locations from Mississippi to Wisconsin.