MyFoxHurricane.com blog

Bonnie moving closer to Gulf of Mexico, weakening

Posted by Sheena Parveen under Daily updates

Bonnie, now a tropical depression as of 5pm Friday, is continuing to move West/Northwest around 18 mph and is slowly making way into the Gulf of Mexico.  Most thunderstorm activity is well to the North of the center as the storm is losing strength crossing over South Florida.  As of now, Tropical Depression Bonnie is staying poorly organized, but is sending moisture into the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida.

An area of high pressure over the Southeast as well as an upper-level low in the Gulf will continue to steer Bonnie to the West, then Northwest over the next 24-48 hours.  Dry air is located to the West of Bonnie, as well as higher wind shear.

The higher wind shear will cause unfavorable upper level conditions for Tropical Depression Bonnie as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.  This will allow the storm to stay borderline tropical depression/tropical storm strength for a majority of its track across the Gulf until reaching land around Louisiana and Mississippi.

Bonnie will stay well to our South and Southwest as it moves across the Gulf Saturday morning, continuing to send us a breeze with periods of rain, mainly early Saturday.  Conditions may be favorable enough to allow Bonnie to strengthen back to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon, maintaining that strength as it reaches land, but no further strengthening will be expected.

Computer models are still in agreement with this path.

Satellite and radar imagery shows most of the moisture associated with Bonnie well to the North of the center, with minimal thunderstorm activity at this point.