ORLANDO, Fla. – The National Hurricane Center is tracking Invest 90L, the first invest designation of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Invest is short for “investigation” and is used to identify areas of disturbed weather that forecasters are monitoring for possible tropical development. Once a system receives an invest designation, specialized computer models and the familiar “spaghetti plots” become available to help track its potential path and development.
INVEST 90L
Invest 90L is a broad area of low pressure currently located near the Texas and Mexico border that continues to produce a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
There is a short window where this system could move back over the warm waters of the northwestern Gulf later today, where conditions may allow it to briefly strengthen into a tropical depression or tropical storm.
As of the latest update (Tuesday 8am), the National Hurricane Center gives Invest 90L a 60% chance of development over the next 48 hours and a 60% chance over the next seven days.
However, tropical development is not the main story.
MAIN IMPACTS
Whether Invest 90L becomes a more organized system, Gulf Coast states from southeastern Texas through Louisiana and Mississippi could face a significant threat of flooding through the middle of the week.
Repeated rounds of tropical downpours could lead to widespread, life threatening flash flooding, urban flooding and river flooding.
Gusty winds, rough surf and pockets of coastal flooding are also possible along portions of the northwestern Gulf Coast, and Tropical Storm Watches or Warnings could be issued.
FORECAST OUTLOOK
Forecast models suggest Invest 90L will have only a limited amount of time over water before moving inland again, which should help limit its ability to intensify significantly. Still, even a weak tropical system can produce dangerous impacts, especially when it comes to flooding rainfall.