Ida has weakened to a Tropical Storm this afternoon, but even though it is weakening now is still bears close monitoring over the next few days.

Currently, Ida is bringing winds and rain to parts of Nicaragua in Central America. Those sustained winds are currently 65 miles per hour and some further weakening is expected as the center of the storm is over land at the moment. While it is nearly stationary at this time, Ida will begin to move towards the north.

By Monday, it could be on its way to the Gulf of Mexico and thus bears monitoring. It will move into warm water initially in the Caribbean, where temperatures are currently in the 80s during the peak heating of the afternoon. However, the temperatures near the Alabama and Florida coastlines are in the 60s, meaning the storm would likely weaken as it moves over that cooler water.

In fact, as you can see from the projected intensity computer models above, it will likely remain a Tropical Storm or become a minimal hurricane at best. Regardless, Ida should be monitored closely into next week, especially for interests near the Gulf Coast.

Filed under: Montgomery, Tropical, Weather