UPDATE 9/9/21 5 PM
Tropical Depression Mindy is now well off the southeast coast, about 110 miles ESE of Charleston, South Carolina. It continues to move quickly to the ENE at 23 mph. Mindy's circulation is not well defined as most of the convection is to the northeast of the center due to strong southwesterly wind shear. Shear will get even stronger over the next day or so causing Mindy to dissipate sometime Friday. No other land areas will be impacted with this storm.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/9/21 11 AM
Tropical Depression Mindy continues to bring heavy rain along the South Carolina coast this morning, but will be short lived as Mindy moves quickly to the ENE at 21 mph. Maximum sustained wind is 35 mph, but there could be tropical storm force wind gusts along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Mindy will continue to move away from the United States and is expected to dissipate tomorrow or early Saturday as high vertical wind shear will tear the storm apart.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/9/21 5 AM
Mindy is 80 miles south-southeast of Valdosta, Georgia this morning has weakened to a Tropical Depression.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast through tonight. Gradual weakening is expected on Friday, and Mindy is forecast to become a remnant low by Saturday. The minimum central pressure estimated from surface observations is 1004 mb.
FOX 4 MORNING METEOROLOGIST TRENT ARIC
UPDATE 9/8/21 11 PM
Tropical Storm Mindy is now located along the coast of Apalachee Bay and is moving quickly to the northeast through northern portions of Florida. Mindy is currently impacting the I-10 corridor near Tallahassee. Several inches of rain is expected in northern Florida and the southeast before Mindy moves into the Atlantic. Wind shear will remain high so it is unlikely that Mindy will re-form into a tropical storm.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/8/21 915 PM
Mindy made landfall at 915 at St. Vincent Island. Sustained tropical storm force winds are occurring in portions of the Florida Panhandle, with sustained winds of 44 mph with gusts over 50 in Apalachicola. The storm will quickly move inland tonight and will exit south GA on Thursday morning.
FOX 4 CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DEREK BEASLEY
UPDATE 9/8/21 8 PM
Tropical Storm Mindy continues to move quickly to the northeast at 21 mph with its 45 mph maximum sustained wind. Tropical storm force wind extends up to 35 miles from its center and is expected to make landfall in the panhandle in the next couple hours. Mindy is expected to drop 2-4 inches of rain with amounts as high as 6 inches in parts of the Florida panhandle and the Southeast United States. Mindy will quickly move into the Atlantic and away from the U.S. later this week.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/8/21 5 PM
Mindy has formed off the coast of Florida southwest of Port St. Joe. The storm is moving quickly NE at 21 mph and will move onshore by later this evening into tonight. Tropical storm conditions are expected across the Florida Panhandle and a TROPICAL STORM WARNING is now in effect from Mexico Beach to Steinhatchee River. The storm will move across south Georgia tonight and move into the Atlantic by Thursday afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds can be expected with Mindy as it moves ashore this evening and overnight.
FOX 4 CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DEREK BEASLEY
UPDATE 9/8/21 2 PM
Showers and storms have become better organized over the past few hours as the system now has a 60% chance of development over the next couple days as a broad area of low pressure appears to be forming. Wind has now increased to 35 mph. Several inches of rain is expected in the Panhandle and the Big Bend area of Florida before the system moves across the southeast United States. Once emerging into the Atlantic conditions will be favorable for further development as we head into the weekend. This system doesn't appear to have impacts here in Southwest Florida.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/8/21 11 AM
Disorganized showers and thunderstorms continue in the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico in regards to a surface trough and upper level disturbance. The system is move to the northeast toward the Big Bend of Florida. Upper level winds are slightly favorable for development, but the system will interact with northern Florida which will squash any chance for tropical development until it re-emerges in the Atlantic after passing through the Southeast U.S. Conditions will be more favorable for tropical development late this week when its over the Atlantic Ocean. It looks like the system will not impact Southwest Florida, but will bring heavy rain to the northern and northwest coast of Florida as well as parts of the southeast. This system has a moderate chance of development over the next 5 days.
FOX 4 METEOROLOGIST ERIC STONE
UPDATE 9/7/21 10 PM
NHC has increased the chance for development to MEDIUM of Invest 91L in the Gulf. The system will not be facing the ideal conditions Ida had over a week ago, so development will be slow. Its window of opportunity to develop into a depression or storm is only another a day or so, so development into anything significant is unlikely. Moisture associated with the system will bring higher rain chances to the northern Gulf Coast by mid-week.
FOX 4 CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DEREK BEASLEY
