Just when you believe this winter's weather can't get any more crazy, the National Hurricane Center has indicated that tropical storm formation is possible this week in the Gulf of Mexico. That's right, the Center is talking about a February tropical storm. Already labeled as Invest 90L the Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida says "this area is being closely monitored for possible further development." The Accuweather.com site writes of the potential storm:
"Some of those key ingredients needed for the development of at least a subtropical depression (a system with partial tropical characteristics) are currently trying to come together in the south-central Gulf of Mexico.
Water temperatures in the south-central Gulf of Mexico are near 80 degrees, the threshold for tropical development.
While not absent, the wind shear (disruptive winds high in the atmosphere) present is not strong enough to totally inhibit development.
If a subtropical depression or storm were to take shape (acquiring the name "Alberto" from the 2012 list), the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center feels it would track into South Florida later Monday into Monday night.
Torrential rain causing flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas would be the main concern, even if development fails to take place.
Evident by the radar from Key West, Fla., downpours will continue to get pushed into South Florida well ahead of the actual low's center."
Only one other time in history has a tropical storm formed in February. In 1950 there was the famous "Groundhog Day' storm. Ironically it formed in the same area and mostly likely will have a similar track.
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