MACON, Ga. — Since Hurricane Milton impacted Florida in the beginning of October, there have not been any tropical systems to impact the United States. However, even though it is November and activity in the tropics typically slows down, it is still hurricane season until November 30th.
This past weekend, Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen formed in the Caribbean Sea. As of Monday evening, this system has strengthened into a Tropical Storm with sustained winds of 35 miles per hour and is located just to the south of Jamaica.
Over the next few days, this system will continue to strengthen, eventually into a Category 1 hurricane as it tracks over western Cuba. It will then move into the central Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to weaken back below hurricane status as it interacts with wind shear. A potential landfall could be seen along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, but there is a lot of uncertainty in the path upon landfall.
While the possible track doesn't look to come near central Georgia, we still look to receive impacts in the form of widespread rain here starting Wednesday morning and lingering into the end of the work week. This large swath of rain will range from a light, steady sprinkle to a couple of heavier showers embedded within.
Some areas could receive locally heavy amounts of rain in the 2 to 4 inch range, while other areas still don't get more than an inch. Where the heavier rainfall totals are located will depend on how close the center of this system moves past us here in central Georgia. Any rain we do receive will be welcome as we are under abnormally dry conditions and just ended a 36 day stretch of no recorded rainfall here in the Macon area this morning.
After Milton made landfall near the Tampa area last month, three named storms formed in the Atlantic basin that did not impact the United States. Nadine, Oscar, and Patty are now all crossed off the list of names this year, so this storm took the name Rafael.
