JACKSONVILLE, Fla — FRIDAY: The front is lifting away farther to our north, but we're still left with a soggy and steamy atmosphere ripe for thunderstorm development. The heaviest rain will fall across Jacksonville (mainly areas from U.S. 17 to the Beaches) between 4 and 7 p.m. However, isolated downpours will begin to pop up after 2 p.m. and fade by 8 p.m. as they push offshore. Gusty winds will still be possible, but the main threats will be heavy rain and lightning. After several days of stormy conditions and saturated grounds, anticipate some urban street flooding especially in the Metro with high tide around 5:30 p.m. Highs warm again near 90 degrees.
WEEKEND: High pressure builds in and a muggy, lighter south breeze takes hold. This will allow the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes to merge in the center of the Sunshine State and create a stormier pattern for areas west of town late in the day. This is good news for the Jaguars preseason game on Saturday as conditions should be calmer in downtown Jacksonville by the 7 p.m. kickoff. Expect more sunshine and slightly less coverage of inland storms by Sunday. Highs heat back up into the lower 90s. By Sunday, the humidity will make it feel more like 105 to 110 degrees.
TROPICS: There are no threats to the First Coast at this, but there is an area the Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to investigate on Friday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. This is likely to be a rainmaker for Mexico and extreme southern Texas through the weekend.
"A broad area of low pressure is emerging over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and it continues to produce disorganized shower activity. Environmental conditions appear favorable for slow development, and a tropical depression could form while the system moves northwestward across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico late today or on Saturday. However, by Saturday night, the system is expected to move inland over northeastern Mexico, which will end its chances of development. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system later today, if necessary.
*Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...40 percent.
*Formation chance through 5 days...medium...40 percent."
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If you didn't get a chance to catch our hurricane special, you can watch it in its entirety right here.
Tim Deegan, Chief Meteorologist at First Coast News, has been preparing the First Coast for hurricanes for over 40 years.
First Coast News Meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz sits down with Deegan in a special broadcast event, Hurricane Ready 2022: 40 Years of Forecasting, to pick his brain about severe weather events and to discuss the upcoming Hurricane season.
RIP CURRENTS: It's always a good idea to talk to the lifeguards and only go out where they can see you. The risk of rip currents always exists, especially around jetties and piers. Have fun, yet play it safe.
WEATHER BALLOON LAUNCH: Curious about how we get weather data for the upper portions of the atmosphere and why it's important to get said data? We stopped by the National Weather Service for one of their daily balloon launches.
