Early Season Tropical Cooking

It's not an official tropical depression or anything more than a broad area of weak low pressure in the Caribbean, one that's dumping a hefty swath of rain over Jamaica and over the Caribbean.    It is the first tropical system worth noting so far in the hurricane season, which started this past Wednesday.   The season is very early and three-quarters of the activity in the hurricane season occurs over an eight week period from mid August to mid October.

With that said, the early season activity is worth talking about since the National Hurricane Center says there's a two in five shot at development.   Its slow movement of the last few days over a marginally favorable environment has some thinking intensification could occur.   While that's certainly possible, the storm has a zone of high winds aloft to its north and also is dealing with Cuba if it takes a trek to the north and northwest.

If there is any tropical development to take place from it -- the system will take a while to get its act together since there is no surface low pressure center yet and getting one to develop may take a while.   Regardless, heavy rains will continue over the Caribbean.   Whether the system moves north into the Gulf and brings those heavy rains into Florida or the Gulf Coast remains to be seen.