All eyes are on Tropical Depression Four, which as of mid-morning Saturday is positioned over western Cuba. The system is expected to develop into a storm today and current predictions show it making landfall in the Big Bend late Sunday or early Monday.
Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network says that the system is forecasted to enter the Gulf today and intensify. She says the system appears to be slightly more to the west than earlier forecasts predicted and that means it will stay over the Gulf longer.
"This has implications, because the Gulf waters will serve as fuel for the system," Borowski says. "As of the latest guidance, we are expecting the system to become a tropical storm later today as it enters the Gulf. It’ll track northward and parallel Florida’s Gulf coast Sunday before possibly making landfall within the Big Bend area late Sunday or early Monday."
Borowski says the bulk of the forecast impacts remain just to the east of our area, but we remain within the cone of uncertainty, and any additional shift in track could result in impacts for our area. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for coastal counties from Franklin County eastward. Heavy rain and strong wind gusts from this system should arrive to our area tomorrow and persist through Monday.