THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

PARTLY CLOUDY AND HOT THROUGH TOMORROW WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS

POWERFUL HURRICANE EARL HEADS TOWARD THE OUTER BANKS AND THREATENS THE U.S. EAST COAST; TROPICAL STORM FIONA TRACKS NORTHWEST AND TROPICAL STORM GASTON TRAVELS WEST IN THE EAST-CENTRAL ATLANTIC

Partly cloudy and hot today with a 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures will be in the low-90's. Expect winds from the southeast at 10-15 mph. Partly cloudy and mild tonight with a 20% chance of showers after midnight. Look for overnight lows ranging from the near 80 on the Island to the upper-70's inland. On Friday, we will have partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures with a 30% chance of showers or thunderstorms. Highs will be in the low-90's. Expect easterly winds winds at 5-10 mph.

DISCUSSION

Ample moisture and an unstable atmosphere will keep a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in our picture for the next couple of days. Muggy conditions, however may give way to lower humidity levels and a lower chance of rain over the weekend as dry air filters in along a cool front expected to sag south over Texas and reach the coast by Saturday.

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

Large and dangerous Hurricane Earl has and poses a major threat to the North Carolina coast and a potential threat to much of the East Coast and New England. As a consequence, Hurricane Warnings are in effect for much of eastern North Carolina, while Tropical Storm Warnings extend from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Sandy Hook, New Jersey and a Hurricane Watch has been issued for a stretch of the New England coastline from Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. While Earl should begin a slow weakening process as early as sometime later today or Friday, it will still be capable of producing hurricane conditions and extremely high tide levels. At 8 am, AST Earl was centered near 30.1 N and 74.8 W. Sustained winds were 145-mph and central barometric pressure had dropped to 932 MB (27.32"). At the same time, Tropical Storm Fiona was located near 23.6 N and 65.5 W. Sustained winds had decreased to 50-mph and barometric pressure was 29.53" (1000 MB). Fiona was tracking northwest at 9-mph. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gaston was centered near 13.8 N and 38.2 W. Sustained winds were 40-mph and barometric pressure was 1005 MB (29.68"). Gaston was moving west at 9-mph. Finally, a large area of disturbed weather off the African coast is given a 10% chance for development. Elsewhere, the Tropical Atlantic Basin is quiet.