Due to the low clouds, temperatures will be kept relatively low in the mid 70s. Also, don't expect anything in the way of showers--so the weather really isn't too bad over the region.
As for the fate of dwindling Rita, some computer models are still re-introducing her into the Gulf of Mexico next week, but the consensus seems to have shifted for more of a northeasterly track over Tennessee and Kentucky and the Ohio River valley, as she is absorbed by an approaching cold front in the coming days.
Even with Hurricane Rita making landfall over 200 miles to the west, Louisiana still felt the effects of water being piled up near the now famous 9th-ward. Once again, water was pushed over the severely jeopardized levees from Katrina's wrath nearly a month ago, flooding the recently dried streets.
Kyle Guidry paddles up a street in Laffite, La., to check on his house after surges from Hurricane Rita flooded the area on Saturday.
As for the fate of dwindling Rita, some computer models are still re-introducing her into the Gulf of Mexico next week, but the consensus seems to have shifted for more of a northeasterly track over Tennessee and Kentucky and the Ohio River valley, as she is absorbed by an approaching cold front in the coming days.
Even with Hurricane Rita making landfall over 200 miles to the west, Louisiana still felt the effects of water being piled up near the now famous 9th-ward. Once again, water was pushed over the severely jeopardized levees from Katrina's wrath nearly a month ago, flooding the recently dried streets.
Kyle Guidry paddles up a street in Laffite, La., to check on his house after surges from Hurricane Rita flooded the area on Saturday.
Kevork Djansezian / AP
Still, most people are thankful that Rita wasn't worse, but she still roared ashore as a monstrous category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 120mph. While I was anticipating some slight strengthening before landfall, the opposite occurred (as is often the case with landfalling hurricanes, as we have seen this year with Katrina). The sciences behind the weakening often observed with landfalling hurricanes aren't perfect yet, but one reason for the weakening can be attributed to the shallow waters near the coast. Rita was spoiled on that "high-octane" fuel that is spread across the Gulf of Mexico in the form of 85+F water, but more importantly, the depth of the 80 degree water went down to about 200 feet below the surface.
As she approached land, the continental shelf rises and water depths decrease dramatically. Hence, the depth of 80F water decreases closer to shore. And another reason for Rita's weakening from the amazing category 5 she was out in the Gulf was due in part to a long-lasting eyewall replacement cycle, that is always expected in very powerful hurricanes. Storms of this magnitude simply cannot sustain wind speeds like 170mph for an extended period of time, so the central eyewall contracts while a larger outer-eyewall tightens.
This cycle lasted for a very long period of time, much longer than usual, so Rita had no time to re-strengthen into the category 4 that was expected about 36-48 hours prior to landfall.
Whatever the case is though, Rita still wreaked destruction on eastern Texas and Louisiana, and was the second major hurricane to hit the US in less than a month.
As she approached land, the continental shelf rises and water depths decrease dramatically. Hence, the depth of 80F water decreases closer to shore. And another reason for Rita's weakening from the amazing category 5 she was out in the Gulf was due in part to a long-lasting eyewall replacement cycle, that is always expected in very powerful hurricanes. Storms of this magnitude simply cannot sustain wind speeds like 170mph for an extended period of time, so the central eyewall contracts while a larger outer-eyewall tightens.
This cycle lasted for a very long period of time, much longer than usual, so Rita had no time to re-strengthen into the category 4 that was expected about 36-48 hours prior to landfall.
Whatever the case is though, Rita still wreaked destruction on eastern Texas and Louisiana, and was the second major hurricane to hit the US in less than a month.
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