Twin States Weather Blog

Early Afternoon Rita Update

* Rita is really beginning to get its' act together - now a Category 2 hurricane packing sustained winds of 100 mph. The weather in the Florida Keys is beginning to go downhill. Here are a few spot reports from south Florida as of 2 PM CDT:

Key West Int'l Airport: Light Rain, Winds: E 39 MPH, Gusts to 54 MPH.
Boca Chica Naval Air Station: Light Rain, Winds: E 47 MPH, Gusts to 62 MPH.
Miami: Light Rain, Winds: E 25, Gusts to 36 MPH.
Sombrero Key: Winds: E 62 , Gusts to 72 MPH
Marathon: Light Rain, Winds: E 28, Gusts to 45 MPH.

* Rita will likely continue to intensify quickly out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. There is little shear, and only a small amount of dry air for the system to encounter.

* The track guidance from our computer models continues to indicate that the greatest probability of landfall will come along the Texas coastline, somewhere between Houston and Brownsville. The 12z (morning) run of the tropical models is very tightly clustered and in good agreement with this scenario. But, as the disclaimer states, this track is far from being written in stone. Check back for updates...

posted by WTOK Weather Staff @ 2:14 PM