INDIANAPOLIS — A highly humid day in central Indiana continues to yield hit and miss downpours. We're watching for eastern Indiana for potential intensification of cells there where it's a bit more unstable and where wind shear is strongest. Thus far, we've missed out on the widespread severe storms impacting the Ohio River today from near Louisville to Cincinnati in a stronger axis of lift. However, atmospheric wind energy/low-level moisture/instability all remain high enough to warrant the continued mention of isolated severe gusts and/or rotating storms.
These quick-moving cells exit the state from west-to-east by 7 p.m. The passage of a cool front this evening brings less humid air overnight into Wednesday morning. We'll monitor for areas of patchy, dense fog by that time, but overall tomorrow should be a quieter weather day locally.
Our focus quickly shifts to Helene in the Western Caribbean. Now a Tropical Storm...Helene becomes a hurricane quickly the next 24 hours and a major Hurricane within the next 48 hours as it gets into the highly warm Gulf Of Mexico. Hurricane Watches are up for a good portion of the Florida Gulf Coast. If you have friends, family, and/or are planning to be anywhere there from Panama City to Tampa...you should follow the forecast closely and be prepared to alter plans.
The latest forecast is for a potential landfall Thursday near the Big Bend region of Florida as a likely major hurricane. A broad wind-field and quick movement to the north puts far inland areas at risk of high wind.
Helene will thread the needle between the positioning of an upper low over Arkansas and high-pressure system over the Atlantic...and eventually get ingested by that upper low.
As that happens near the Ohio Valley on Friday, expect windy/wet conditions to develop in central Indiana.
It's several days out and plenty of time for tweaks...but there is potential of 40-50+ mph gusts, power outages, and a period of wind-whipped heavy rain Friday and Friday night. Updates to come.
