Will Tropical Storm Elsa affect Alabama?
Tropical Storm Elsa will move into the Gulf of Mexico this week and is forecast to take aim at Floridas west coast. The National Hurricane Centers official forecast track shows Elsa making landfall on Floridas west (or Gulf) coast late Tuesday or early Wednesday as a tropical storm. Alabama remains outside the hurricane centers so-called cone of uncertainty, which means as of Sunday morning forecasters were not expecting the center of the storm to come close to the state. Tropical Storm Elsa had 65 mph winds on Sunday morning as it tracked near Jamaica. Cuba is in line to see Elsa next, and the storm will approach the Florida Keys early Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Mobile has been watching Elsa very closely for days. If Elsa sticks to the hurricane centers official forecast track then Alabama will avoid Elsas winds and rain. Confidence continues to increase in the fact that Elsas track will stay well east of our local area over the far eastern Gulf of Mexico, likely hugging the Florida peninsula, the weather service said Sunday. But Elsa will churn up the Gulf and raise the risk of rip currents along Alabamas beaches. The weather service will increase the rip current risk to high at noon on Sunday, and it will stay high through Monday evening. It again be raised to high on Wednesday:  A high risk of rip currents will go into effect along Alabama's coastline at noon Sunday and will last through Monday night. A high risk will also be in effect on Wednesday and Wednesday night. A high risk of rip currents means the water will be hazardous for all levels of swimmers. Be sure to check local beach conditions before considering getting in the Gulf. The weather service also said the surf could become more rough starting on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will let you know if there are any significant shifts in the forecast track, the weather service said Sunday. The rest of Alabama is not expected to see any weather from Elsa. The weather service offices in Birmingham and Huntsville said impacts from Elsa are not expected in central and north Alabama, though the region may see some rain and storms during the week.