An area of unsettled weather we've been watching in the north Atlantic has now developed into a subtropical system, taking on the name Patty. This is our 16th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Center.

At 6 AM CT on Saturday, Patty has sustained winds of 50 mph and was located roughly 400 miles west/northwest of the Azores according to the National Hurricane Center.

Patty is expected to gradually weaken Sunday. Nonetheless, it will likely bring tropical storm force winds and rain to the volcanic islands of The Azores.

Closer to home, we are watching two other areas for potential tropical development. The main focus lies in the Caribbean.

That area has a high development chance, and is likely to develop into a tropical depression within the next few days.

Models are in pretty good agreement to take that into the Gulf, but whether it will move west or north from there is still undetermined at this time.

Hypothetically, if it did move north after moving into the Gulf, it would be moving into a hostile environment of cooler water temperatures and a series of cold fronts. This would allow it to weaken and fall apart, being just a bit of a rainmaker.

The bottom line is that this is still a long range forecast, and nothing can be completely trusted at this time. This is something we will have to continue to watch and wait. Be sure to check back for updates in the coming days.

The end of hurricane season is November 30th.