How Tropical Storm Norma in the Pacific Could Drop Beneficial Moisture in U.S.

Posted: October 18, 2023 9:08 am

A new tropical storm spinning across the East Pacific could influence the weather pattern in the U.S. in the coming days as it embarks on a long journey across Mexico and beyond. Who can expect to see the moisture out of this system? Read on for all of the details.

Tropical Storm Norma Details

Tropical Storm Norma formed over the East Pacific on Tuesday afternoon with forecasters warning that it is likely to become the next hurricane of the season for this part of the world. Norma came to life several hundred miles off of the coast of Mexico. As of late Tuesday, the storm was boasting maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as it tracked to the west-northwest at a speed of 10 mph.

Tropical weather experts had been monitoring this area of the Pacific for days, accurately predicting that the feature would develop into a named storm before threatening the coast of Mexico. The current models indicate that Norma will veer to the north and the west over open waters before taking a turn to the northeast toward land. Steering breezes in this part of the Pacific are forecast to direct the storm to the western coastline of Mexico. There is the chance that the tropical storm will gain enough strength to turn into a hurricane in the days to come.

The turn to the northwest is expected to happen late in the week and heading into the weekend. This track would put landfall along the central west coast of Mexico by late weekend or the early part of next week. There is also the possibility that the storm will graze the tip of the Baja Peninsula on its way to the mainland.

Mexico has been under the gun for tropical development over the last few months. Hurricane Lidia recently struck to the south of Puerto Vallarta as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. Lidia was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 mph when it made landfall.

Norma is forecast to bring heavy rain, flash flooding, and mudslides when it crashes on shore. The moisture will continue to fall over the mountainous terrains of Mexico as it moves inland.

How Norma Could Impact Weather in U.S. Next Week

Despite being located thousands of miles away at the moment, what is left of Norma could also impact the south-central U.S. by next week. Forecasters are calling for a dip in the jet stream across the western portion of the U.S. to bring up the leftover moisture and energy from Norma and deposit it over the south-central part of the country.

While it is still too early to pinpoint with certainty, it looks as if the heaviest of the rain will fall across the northwestern corner of Texas and southwestern New Mexico. The rain will then jet up to parts of Oklahoma before expanding to other parts of the Plains states on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This part of the nation’s heartland should be prepared for a general 2 – 4 inches of rain with this weather maker. Ongoing drought conditions have been a persistent concern in the central Plains with this system potentially providing a degree of relief. For instance, a large swath of the central U.S. has been under the designation of at least abnormally dry conditions, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Farmers have been grappling with these dry conditions as fall harvest season approaches. In addition, water levels in area rivers have also been running dangerously low. The mighty Mississippi River has been in the news as of late as water levels continue to fall, impacting the flow of commerce along the river. Saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has also made its way up to the mouth of the river in Louisiana because of the low levels, putting the clean drinking water supply at risk in this part of the Bayou.

Climatologists caution that any rain that falls in the central portions of the Mississippi Valley could take weeks to reach the lower section of the basin. The Arkansas and Missouri rivers would also need to see significant rainfall in order to assist in the water levels that flow into the Mississippi.

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