Gustav Hype and Heat Potential, Labor Day Looking Up

Since this is the last day of our noon show, I am taking it easy this morning. There has already be so much hype over Gustav- especially on this anniversary of Katrina- that it may actually scare the storm away!

Here is a map of the Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential. It measures more than just water surface temperature, but the depth of that warm water as well. When big waves churn up the water, having that heat source go deep is crucial. You can see that there is a source of heat energy into the Gulf, but that drops off closer to land on the coastline. That may be important, since like Katrina- Gustav could weaken on it's way to landfall. The jury is still out on the track considering the influence of approaching High Pressure into the Central Plains of the US. You can still track along with Stormpulse on my Tropics Page in the Seasonal Tab on the main web site.
Also-Check out the TV Graphics which highlight the improved weather for Labor Day. It looks like we will be close to 90F by the middle of next week. Summer is not done yet, but I will be in the Poconos this weekend to see some of the leaves already turning.