Tropical Storm Milton Forms, Eyes On South Florida

WBBJ 7 Forecast Update

October 5, 2024

Jordan Hubbard,

A strong blocking pattern over West Tennessee will keep things clear, calm, and dry for up to the next 10-14 days. However, things are not as clear cut for the rest of the US. We’re keeping an eye on the Gulf of Mexico as we near Fall Break as Florida is a popular destination. We have the latest on Milton right here.

Milton Forecast:

Milton is currently expected to strengthen into a category 3 major hurricane before making landfall on the Florida Peninsula. Milton’s movement almost due east also changes so expectations for hurricanes. Because of this eastward movement, the highest storm surge will actually be on the southeastern side of the cyclone. The areas most affected by Hurricane Helene will be mostly spared from Milton, aside from some minor surge and showers. The latest cone is centered near Tampa, FL at landfall Wednesday afternoon. Notable cities currently inside the cone include Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Gainesville, and Sarasota.

West Tennessee:

Back home, things look fantastic though on Sunday, temperatures could hit 90. Fortunately humidity will be rather low. Temperatures will plummet Sunday afternoon/evening as a strong, dry cold front pushes through the Mid-South. Behind the front, highs will be in the mid-70s with lows dropping into the 40s. Weather will be calm with clear skies all week long thanks to a very dry pattern setting in from the west.

Drought:

The rains from Helene may have busted our drought for the time being, but we will be seeing much drier weather here in West Tennessee and most of the Continental US. As a result, we will likely being to see the drought begin to ramp back up rather quickly. It may be on the order of weeks before we see rain again here in the Hub City.