Updated – June 5, 7:00 PM EDT
At 6 PM EDT, Tropical Storm Andrea was named in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It was located near 25.3N 86.5W, about 310 miles SSW of Apalachicola, FL. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph and the storm is moving north at 3 mph.
A tropical storm warning is in place along the west coast of Florida from Boca Grande to the Ockhlockonee River. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Atlantic seaboard from Flagler Beach, FL north to Surf City, NC.
The storm remains very asymmetric due to the strong upper-level winds. The shear is forecast to weaken ahead of the storm prior to landfall, so some additional strengthening is likely.
Landfall is expected tomorrow evening. It will transition to an extratropical position by Friday evening. As it moves across the Gulf and across the Southeast U.S., heavy rainfall is forecast to continue. 3-6″ rain is forecast for the Florida peninsula, while 2-4″ are forecast for the Carolinas.
From a NASCAR perspective, this system will drop about 2-4″ of rain across the Pocono area. However, the system will clear the region in time for the Sunday race.
