Infrared satellite imagery shows thunderstorms around Gordon Thursday afternoon. (NOAA)
As we enter the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, we will begin to see increased chances for tropical development.
Currently, in addition to the remnants of Tropical Depression Seven which may impact the Gulf of Mexico, we are also watching Tropical Storm Gordon, which developed early Thursday morning.
Tropical Storm Gordon is located about 1200 miles west of the Azores.
Satellite imagery of Gordon early Friday morning showed a well-organized tropical system with powerful thunderstorms wrapping around a common center.
RELATED: Watching the Gulf, Potential for Beneficial Texas Rains
Relatively warm waters and low wind shear (the changes in wind speed and direction with height) will continue to help Gordon strengthen over the next couple of days. Gordon can become a Category 1 hurricane before the weekend.
Despite Gordon potentially turning into a dangerous hurricane, no impact to land will occur through the first part of the weekend.
However, strong westerlies will take Gordon on a brisk easterly track toward the Azores into the weekend. Heavy rain and gusty winds can affect the Azores late in the weekend or early next week. At that time, the system will encounter cooler ocean waters and lose most tropical characteristics as it continues toward Europe.
Tropical activity may continue to ramp up over the next couple of weeks before we reach the historical peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin on Sept. 10. Keep checking back with the Accuweather.com Hurricane Center for continuing updates on this and other tropical development.
Content contributed by Andy Mussoline, Meteorologist
Severe weather will return to the Plains once again early next week as a potent storm system moves into the region.
With one day remaining before Memorial Day weekend, the Sandy-battered Jersey coastline is hustling to finish last-minute preparations.
The Memorial Day weekend will begin cool, windy and rainy in New England and part of the mid-Atlantic.
"We can and must do more relative to severe weather," AccuWeather CEO Barry Myers testified on Thursday, May 23, 2013, during a hearing called Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting.
Around 8:47 p.m. PDT, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook in the mountains of California, according to the USGS.
More than 500 inbound and outbound flights at LaGuardia in New York were delayed due to the storms.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Abilene, TX (2000)
109 degrees, hottest ever in May.
Brownsville, TX (1998)
Just 0.04" of rain since April.
Philadelphia, PA (1992)
A dramatic cold frontal passage. Early afternoon
temperature over 80 degrees fell to a late-day
reading in the 40s.
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