Recommended Videos
Tropical Storm
260 miles S of Lake Charles Louisiana
Wind
Pressure
40 mph
29.47
Heading
Coordinates
NNE at 18 mph
93.2W, 26.3N
Discussion
At 400 p.m. CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Olga was located near latitude 26.3 north, longitude 93.2 west. Olga is moving toward the north-northeast near 18 mph (30 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Olga should move over the northern Gulf coast late tonight or early Saturday and then move through the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys later Saturday through Sunday.
Reports from an air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are now near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Olga is expected to merge with a cold front and become a post-tropical low with gale-force winds during the next few hours before the center reaches the Gulf coast.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km) mainly to the northeast of the center. Satellite wind data and surface observations indicate that a large area of gale-force winds is occurring to the west of the cold front that is currently just west of Olga.
The minimum central pressure just reported by the hurricane hunter is 998 mb (29.47 inches).
Satellite
Watches and Warnings
There are no coastal tropical cyclone watches or warnings in effect.
Please see high seas forecasts issued by the National Weather Service and products from local National Weather Service forecast offices for information on the non-tropical watches and warnings associated with this system.
Models
Land Hazards
Wind: gale-force winds associated with Olga and its remnants should spread over portions of the northern Gulf coast tonight and Saturday morning.
Rainfall: Olga, its remnants, and rainfall ahead of the system along and north of the frontal boundary across the central Gulf coast is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches with maximum totals of 8 inches across the central Gulf coast into the lower Mississippi valley through Saturday morning. These rains may produce flash flooding across the central Gulf coast into the lower Mississippi valley.
Coastal flooding: above-normal tides and associated coastal flooding are possible across portions of the northern Gulf coast. Please see products from local National Weather Service forecast offices for additional information.
Tornadoes: a couple tornadoes are possible through tonight across southeast portions of Louisiana and Mississippi into southwest Alabama.