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Tropical Storm Dexter<\/strong> is drawing growing attention<\/strong> from meteorologists as new spaghetti model projections<\/strong> suggest a likely track across Florida<\/strong>, with a potential landfall<\/strong> in just 72 hours<\/strong>. As of Tuesday morning<\/strong>, the disturbance identified as 93L<\/strong> was gaining structure off Florida\u2019s Atlantic coast<\/strong>, increasing the odds that it could soon become the season\u2019s fourth named storm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So far, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season<\/strong> has produced three named storms \u2014 Andrea<\/strong>, Barry<\/strong>, and Chantal<\/strong>. The most recent, Chantal<\/strong>, brought torrential rainfall<\/strong> and severe flooding<\/strong> to North Carolina<\/strong>, where some locations reported up to 9 inches (22.9 cm)<\/strong> of rain in a single day. Dexter<\/strong>, if formed, would be next in line and could make an early and fast-moving entrance.<\/p>\n According to Reed Timmer, PhD<\/strong>, a well-known storm chaser and meteorologist<\/strong>, early spaghetti plots<\/strong> are already showing potential landfall scenarios. He emphasized the importance of the storm moving quickly<\/strong>, as this could limit the time<\/strong> available for rapid intensification<\/strong>, reducing the risk of a major hurricane<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Current model projections suggest the system could cross the Florida Peninsula<\/strong> moving westward and reach the northeastern Gulf of Mexico<\/strong> by midweek. Once over the Gulf\u2019s warmer waters<\/strong>, the system could intensify into a tropical storm<\/strong> and possibly shift northward<\/strong> toward the Gulf states<\/strong>, including Alabama<\/strong>, Mississippi<\/strong>, Louisiana<\/strong>, and even reaching as far as Tennessee<\/strong> or Kentucky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n According to a Tuesday morning advisory<\/strong> from the National Hurricane Center (NHC)<\/strong>, satellite wind data<\/strong> indicate that the system is gradually becoming better organized<\/strong>, although shower and thunderstorm activity<\/strong> remains somewhat scattered and disorganized<\/strong>. Still, conditions in the atmosphere appear favorable for development<\/strong>, especially once the system reaches the northeastern and north-central Gulf<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The NHC warns that regardless of development<\/strong>, heavy rainfall<\/strong> and localized flash flooding<\/strong> remain a concern for Florida<\/strong> and the north-central Gulf Coast<\/strong>. Over the next few days, 4 to 8 inches (10.1 to 20.3 cm)<\/strong> of rain are expected across central Florida<\/strong>, which could strain already saturated soils and urban drainage systems.<\/p>\n Dan Pydynowski<\/strong>, a meteorologist with AccuWeather<\/strong>, told Newsweek<\/strong> that rainfall totals<\/strong> of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm)<\/strong> are likely to spread from far eastern Texas<\/strong> through the Florida Panhandle<\/strong>, while southern Mississippi<\/strong> and southeast Louisiana<\/strong> could see 4 to 8 inches (10.1 to 20.3 cm)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The exact track and intensity<\/strong> of the system are still unclear. Meteorologist Matt Devitt<\/strong> explained via X<\/strong> (formerly Twitter) that the storm\u2019s path within the Gulf<\/strong> is key: a northerly route<\/strong> would mean less time over warm water and limit its ability to strengthen, whereas a southerly trajectory<\/strong> would keep it over the open central Gulf<\/strong>, giving it more fuel to intensify and pushing potential landfall<\/strong> westward from Alabama<\/strong> to Louisiana<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The National Hurricane Center<\/strong> currently gives the system a 40% chance<\/strong> of tropical cyclone formation within both the next 48 hours<\/strong> and the next 7 days<\/strong>\u2014placing it in the \u201cmedium\u201d development category<\/strong>. Forecasters will continue to monitor how the system evolves as it moves across Florida<\/strong> and into the Gulf of Mexico<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Atlantic hurricane season<\/strong> officially runs from June 1 through November 30<\/strong>, with July storms<\/strong> often marking the transition from early-season uncertainty to more active development, especially when ocean temperatures are elevated. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season<\/strong> began on May 15<\/strong> and also extends through the end of November<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tropical Storm Dexter is drawing growing attention from meteorologists as new spaghetti model projections suggest a likely track across Florida, with a potential landfall in just 72 hours. As of Tuesday morning, the disturbance identified as 93L was gaining structure off Florida\u2019s Atlantic coast, increasing the odds that it could soon become the season\u2019s fourth […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":6067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/h3>\n
Why Dexter matters in July’s Atlantic storm cycle<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Spaghetti models suggest westward Florida crossing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Rainfall forecast and flood threat across the Southeast<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Uncertainty remains about Dexter’s intensity and track<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What to watch in the coming days<\/strong><\/h3>\n