Ida Still Going Strong

Maximum sustained winds are now 100 mph near the center of Ida. It is moving to the north/northwest at 10 mph and should make landfall near the Alabama coast on Monday night.


It will be moving over the warm Gulf waters, however, it will also encounter wind shear during this time. So it doesn't look like it should strengthen much more. Ida will quickly weaken once it moves inland on Tuesday.

Ida Now A Hurricane

Ida's maximum sustained winds are now 90 mph, making it a category one hurricane. The oranges you see on the satellite loop below indicates robust thunderstorm development around the center of Ida - usually a good gauge of storm strength. You can also spot a slight circulation, especially in the middle of the loop.

Ida Almost A Hurricane

Ida has quickly strengthened now that it has moved back off land and over warm water. Winds are now sustained at 70 mph, so it is almost a category one hurricane. It still looks like Ida will take a northerly track into the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple days. During this time, it will encounter some strong shear, which will inhibit growth. Nonetheless, this storm should become a hurricane tomorrow.

It's still too early to pinpoint Ida's impact on the Mid-Atlantic, but the latest data has some of the remnants bringing us rain late Tuesday into early Wednesday. The key to this forecast will be the timing of a front that will deflect Ida's remnants eastward. If the front slows down, then the rain chances will increase, if the front speeds up, then we will see little or no rain.

We will continue to monitor the situation and have more updates in the coming days!