Area of Low Pressure Could Develop Tropical Characteristics

According to the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center, a low pressure area near the southern tip of Florida will drift west over the next several days. By Wednesday and Thursday, the low will have entered an area of the Gulf that will allow for development of a subtropical or tropical storm. By Thursday night, the low will be steered northwest and then north toward the Gulf Coast.

"The system in the Gulf is an upper-level low for sure...The question is, will the system become a sub-tropical storm?" said AccuWeather.com's Sr. Meteorologist and Severe Weather Expert, Henry Margusity. "The models just kill it off in a few days, which seems reasonable to me... In the meantime, heavy rains will affect northern Florida from Disney on north through tonight then spread through the Florida Peninsula tomorrow."

Interests in the Gulf of Mexico should continue to monitor the progress of this slowly evolving system. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) reported that despite the lack of development of Tropical Depression 10 last week, approximately 4.0 percent of the oil production and 2.5 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was shut-in as the storm moved into the Gulf.