The Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf continues to be quiet today. This is due to a combination of very strong wind shear values and a blanket of dry air at the mid-levels of the atmosphere across much of the Atlantic Basin.
Looking at satellite imagery today, it reveals a lack of any significant convection across much of the Atlantic Basin. The exception to this is across the southwestern Caribbean where there is some shower and thunderstorm activity occurring. This convection in the southwestern Caribbean is being caused by a westward moving tropical wave. Development of this convection is not expected through this weekend into early next week due to strong amounts of wind shear. This could change as we get into the middle and later parts of next week as this tropical wave moves into the Bay of Campeche.
Now, turning to next week, there continues to be the slight possibility of some sort of tropical development to occur in the Bay of Campeche or the southwestern Gulf around the middle and later parts of next week. The catalyst for this possible tropical development looks to be that tropical wave that’s now located over the southwestern Caribbean. It looks possible that the tropical wave may get pulled into Central America during the early part of next week and then directed towards the Bay of Campeche during the middle and later parts of next week. This is when some of the model guidance are hinting that tropical development could occur in either the Bay of Campeche or the southwestern Gulf.
Looking At The Model Guidance:
The 06Z GFS model run forecasts some minor tropical development to occur in the Bay of Campeche around Wednesday and Thursday of next week. The GFS model then forecasts this system to quickly move into eastern Mexico by next Friday.
The Canadian model forecasts that perhaps some very short-lived tropical development could occur in the southwestern Gulf very near Mexico’s east coast around next Thursday and next Friday. Any system would then quickly be pushed inland into eastern Mexico.
The European model now suggests most of the energy with that tropical wave will remain over southern and eastern Mexico next week with no development forecast.
The European ensemble model guidance continues to hint at tropical development in the Bay of Campeche and the southwestern Gulf with the model forecasting a 40-45 percent chance for tropical development around Thursday and Friday of next week.
Here Are My Thoughts: I do still think that the chances of tropical development in the Bay of Campeche and the southwestern Gulf during the middle and later parts of next week are low (probably about 20 percent or so). That said, it is something that will be watched, just in case we do see a tropical system develop.
Over the next several days or so, I suspect that we will see the tropical wave that’s now located over the southwestern Caribbean move to the Bay of Campeche where an area of disturbed weather may form around Wednesday of next week. This disturbed weather may then try to take advantage of the shape of the coastline of the Bay of Campeche and try to spin up into a tropical depression or very low end tropical storm before it moves into eastern Mexico around next Friday or so.
While I do think that the high pressure ridge over the southern United States should be strong enough to push this tropical system quickly westward into eastern Mexico, it is not a certainty. If this high pressure ridge ends up weaker than forecast, it could lead to the area of disturbed weather over the Bay of Campeche to move further northward into the western Gulf and develop a little more. A further north track could lead to this system coming ashore in northeastern Mexico or far South Texas next weekend. This is exactly what a few of the ensemble members of the Canadian and European models are hinting at.
Either way, any tropical disturbance in the Bay of Campeche or the southwestern Gulf during the second half of next week will likely bring heavy rain and flooding to eastern Mexico from Wednesday of next week through next weekend. It is possible that some of this heavy rain could sneak northward into South Texas late next week and next weekend depending on the exact track of the disturbed weather.
The next tropical weather discussion will be issued on Monday.