The local weather is easy today.  Slam dunk!  Lots of sun for the next couple of days, high pressure, highs in the upper 70s, lows in the 50s and 60s.  If it weren’t for the tropics, then I probably wouldn’t be blogging today.  However, there are a couple of important updates.
Tropical storm Leslie is moving over Newfoundland, Canada this morning.  It has sustained winds of 70mph, but it has gusts up to hurricane force.  There will likely be some power outages over the island.  There may be be some light damage.  The storm is moving so fast (NNE at 40mph) that heavy rain shouldn’t be a problem.

Leslie On Satellite Courtesy Of NOAA

Leslie is wrapping in some cooler/drier air.  So according to the National Hurricane Center it is already undergoing a transition to extra-tropical.  Later today it will be a post tropical system over the North Atlantic and will begin to weaken.  Hurricane Michael was downgraded to a tropical storm this morning.  Matter of fact…It is probably going to be a tropical depression in the next update by looking at the unimpressive satellite.  It had winds of 65mph, but was undergoing rapid weakening.  It will likely dissipate over the cooler waters of the north Atlantic.

The persistent cluster of storms farther south has a 90% chance for development.  It just hasn’t completely organized yet.  It may be a depression or tropical storm by later today.

On a final note.  The lower 48 states had the 3rd hottest Summer on record according to NOAA.  The Summer isn’t technically over, but they are probably referring to the June, July, August months.  1936 and 2011 beat out this year.  Can you imagine this year’s heat without air conditioning like back in the 30s?

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler