Latest on Tropical Storm Don

NOTE: The latest official track forecast places the center of Don inland over Extreme SE Texas tonight and by Saturday, the center may sag southward a bit into Extreme Northern Mexico. If this holds true, it may reduce the amount of rain for drought areas of Central Texas but places closer to the Rio Grande should still get beneficial amounts.

Here is the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DON ADVISORY NUMBER 8
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042011
1000 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

…OUTER RAIN BANDS OF DON APPROACHING THE TEXAS COAST…

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT…1500 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————–
LOCATION…26.2N 94.9W
ABOUT 190 MI…305 KM SE OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS
ABOUT 165 MI…260 KM E OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…50 MPH…85 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 300 DEGREES AT 14 MPH…22 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1002 MB…29.59 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY…

NONE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* TEXAS COAST FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO MATAGORDA

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24
HOURS.

INTERESTS IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DON.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES…INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
AT 1000 AM CDT…1500 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DON WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH…LONGITUDE 94.9 WEST. DON IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH…22 KM/H…AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 36 TO 48 HOURS.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF DON IS EXPECTED TO MAKE
LANDFALL ON THE TEXAS COAST TONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY…AND THEN
MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN TEXAS ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH…85 KM/H…WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL…WITH
STEADY WEAKENING EXPECTED AFTER LANDFALL.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES…165 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT DATA IS 1002 MB…29.59 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
WIND…TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING
AREA BY LATE TODAY.

STORM SURGE…WATER LEVELS WILL RISE BY AS MUCH AS 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE
GROUND LEVEL…MAINLY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO THE
NORTHEAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. NEAR THE COAST…THE
SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DAMAGING WAVES.

RAINFALL…DON IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF
3 TO 5 INCHES FROM SOUTH TEXAS INTO EXTREME NORTHEASTERN MEXICO…
WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 7 INCHES.

TORNADOES…ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH
TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NEXT ADVISORY
————-
NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY…100 PM CDT.
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY…400 PM CDT.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

Category: Tropical