Tropical Depression Number Two Forms

Invest 91L has been upgraded to Tropical Depression Two this afternoon based on Air Force Reconnaissance which found a closed circulation in the weather system off the Southeast Coast of the United States.

It has top winds of 35 mph. It should become Tropical Storm Bonnie overnight tonight. It should reach the South Carolina coast near or just west of Charleston early Sunday morning.

The official forecast meanders it along the South Carolina coast through Tuesday, slowly moving offshore and tracking just off the North Carolina coast through Wednesday.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the South Carolina coast from the Savannah River to Little River Inlet.

Upper level conditions are not especially favorable for intensification, and the system is not forecast to increase beyond a 45 mph tropical storm, but it will be moving over some really warm Gulfstream water, so I think we will have to watch carefully in case it strengthens a little more than anticipated.

In addition to windy conditions, very heavy rain will impact the coast of South Carolina, with at least 2-3 inches of rain expected. I think that forecast from the WPC may be low, especially given the slow movement. There will be rough surf and rip currents as well.

TD Two/Bonnie will have no direct impact on the weather for Alabama of the beautiful beaches of Northwest Florida and Alabama.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ONE
You may ask what happened to TD Number One? Hurricane Alex formed in January, the first to form in January since 1938. It formed north of Bermuda and moved toward the Azores, weakening to a tropical storm before reaching the islands.

Category: Headlines, Tropical