Tropical Storm Hermine gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico just west of Florida on September 1, 2016. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)
If you’ve been outside today, you know that the weather is absolutely scrumptious. But thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine, the sun might be heading out of town for the long weekend.
A few hours after Hermine made landfall in Florida—the first hurricane to do so since Wilma in 2005—it was downgraded to a tropical storm. That doesn’t mean that people in this region won’t feel some its impact, though.
At this point, the National Weather Service is forecasting a chance of rain after 9 a.m. tomorrow, with a northeast wind from 11 to 17 miles per hour and chances for gusts as high as 22 miles per hour. Sunday similarly has a chance of rain, though with less powerful winds.
The NBC 4 Storm Team characterizes Hermine as a “nuisance event” (might rain on your barbecue) rather than something more consequential and dangerous (might blow your grill away) in the metropolitan region.
Capital Weather Gang has a similar prognosis. While there could be some moderate rain, “a graze is more likely—meaning showery weather rather than a driving, wind-swept rain.”
If your plans include hightailing it to a nearby beach, though, Hermine could still stick it to you.
From NBC 4:
Heavy rain will fall east of I-95, especially on the Eastern Shore, Saturday night into Sunday. Rainfall totals will range from 3 inches to 6 inches at the beaches, with more possible in some spots. Winds will also be very strong, with sustained winds of 50-60 mph possible.
An recent study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that hurricanes with female names were more deadly than those with male names. Why? “Apparently because they lead to a lower perceived risk and consequently less preparedness,” researchers wrote. For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out if Hermine is a boy or girl’s name.
These forecasts are subject to change as Hermine heads up the coast. If the tropical storm does bring rain, might we recommend some movies?
Rachel Kurzius