'Cane Watchers

Hurricane IKE is located just offshore of NW Cuba and is now over very warm waters. IKE will begin to intensify gradually over the next few days with minimal wind shear and warm waters to work with. After look at several different satellite loops it is apparent that the ridge of high pressure to the west of IKE has not weakened at all as it was expected to..This has created a block for IKE and it is now forcing IKE in a northward direction. Remember this was not at all expected. Intially the high was forecasted to break down and move out but since this has not occured yet and it does not look to be moving out anytime soon IKE's track may be alot different. If within the next 24 hours this high does not break down I can be sure that IKE will not make landfall in Texas and would likely be somewhere east of New Orleans. All of the models continue to show a landfall in Texas at this time but they may not have yet gripped onto the high pressure ridge to IKE's west and therefore it make take some time for them to adjust. I will continue to monitor the progress of IKE throughout the night and for the next few days. Residents from Central Florida to the South Texas coast need to pay close attention to there local weather channel and the National Weather Service. Now is not the time to panic...Just be prepared and take any precautions you need to.

I will update by 4PM Wednesday.

Also...I forgot to mention the trough of low-pressure due to move into the Gulf of Mexico later this week and the effects it may have on IKE and it's future track. I will include this in my update tomorrow.

--Josh (Canewatch Forecaster)