Rick Misses Baja, Rains on Central Plains

3-Day Forecast Track TS Rick, Image: NOAA

Rick has significantly weakened in the last 24-hours, and resort towns in Baja California will not suffer a direct hit. Tropical Storm Warnings are still in effect for the West Coast of Southern Baja California including Cabo San Lucas. Maximum sustained winds are now 65 miles per hour.

Rick's Rains, Image: Unisys Weather

The remnants of Rick will aid in the development of a storm system over the Central Plains. Cold, dry polar air will clash with a warm tropical air mass over the Central and Southern Plains late this week. This computer model image from Unisys Weather shows the possibility of heavy rains and storms late Wednesday through Saturday, and then the Northeast could get hit by a wallop of a storm.

The red arrow on the image shows where the remnants of Rick will be located Thursday morning. Rick’s path, along with an influx of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will combine to create heavy rain and thunderstorms through the weekend. This second image is the computer model forecast for Friday. You can see the Central Plains and Mid-Mississippi River Valley will once again bear the brunt of a heavy rain event.

Rick's Rains Friday, Image: Unisys Weather

I’ll have the latest severe weather outlook from the Storm Prediction Center tomorrow.

-Dawn Brown