TS Colin forms, sometimes rainy, mainly in the OBX
Tropical Storm Colin formed Saturday morning off the SC coast. This system should track NE along OBX NC, but overall impacts should be minor. It is primarily a squall rain generator. Gusty winds could also occur – in rain squalls and along the OBX from Saturday to Sunday.
For Hampton Roads, Saturday will feature the occasional rain shower with a thunderstorm in spots. Mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies can be expected. Highs will be in the upper 80s to near 90s.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for OBX NC from Hatteras/Ocracoke north into the Duck area.
Colin will help increase our humidity leading to some tropical showers for Hampton Roads. To the northwest is a cold front. This front will move this weekend, helping to trigger some showers and thunderstorms. Showers are possible Saturday and Sunday. Rain will not be widespread on Hampton Roads. There will be a lot of dry weather.
You might be wondering where does this come from? Well, Friday afternoon an area of low pressure formed off the SC coast. Overnight, the system became better organized – feeding off the warm waters along the Gulf Stream.
The area along the SC coast is where we often see tropical systems forming at this time of year. These “home” systems form when fronts move south and stagnate along the coast, or storm complexes move off the coast, leading to an area of concentrated showers and storms that can become tropical. Most of the time, these systems remain weak as they meander or move along the coast. Colin seems to be one of them.
By Monday, Colin will be long gone and we’ll be looking pretty good. Highs will be in the low to mid 80s with an insulated shower or two around. Not bad for Fourth Fireworks and fun!
I hope you are having a good weekend. Check back with us throughout the weekend for the latest on Colin and the chance of rain.
Meteorologist Ricky Matthews
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