Francine Makes Landfall on Louisiana Coast, Shower Chances Increase Here Friday and the Weekend

Hurricane Francine made landfall on the central Louisiana coast around 6 pm this evening (5 pm CDT). Maximum sustained winds were around 100 mph. Damaging winds and flooding rains heavily impacted southern Louisina. As of 9 pm their time over 260,000 customers were without power. The hurricance began weakening after landfall, and that will continue overnight as the storm center moves inland.

Here is the latest salellite loop and forecast track.

Back here at home, skies will be partly cloudy overnight. Low temperatures for Dillon, Marion and Marlboro counties 62 to 65. Lots of clouds and a little sunshine Thursday. Highs 81 to 85. An onshore wind Friday into the weekend will cause an increasing chance of scattered showers. I am still watching for the possiblity of low pressure forming off the Carolina coast during the weekend into early next week, possibly even delveloping into a tropical system. RIght now computer models are not very impressive with any big develpment, but even a weak system could produce a heavier round of rain sometime Sunday into Tuesday. It is something to keep an eye on.