No tropical development is expected in the Gulf, but threat of heavy rain continues in the South

Developments with the weather pattern across the northern Gulf have essentially eliminated the threat of tropical development. The remnants of an old front that was near the coast yesterday have drifted inland, and the upper-level winds will be hostile for anything to develop over the Gulf waters.

A persistent flow of tropical moisture will continue to push north, however. Combined with the broad low pressure related to the old front and the general weather pattern, areas of rain are forecast from the New Orleans area to beyond Atlanta for the next few days.

While the amounts of rain and the location of the heaviest downpours will ebb and flow over the next week or more, the general weather pattern is forecast to remain in place. The heat-dome high pressure system that has brought scorching temperatures to the west and central U.S. appears locked in. And over the Atlantic, the so-called Bermuda high is not moving very much.

The resulting lower pressure in between, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and much of the South, will continue to be an ingredient for off-and-on periods of heavy rain for the foreseeable future.

In the Atlantic, robust tropical disturbances continue to move off Africa, but the Saharan dust is doing its job and keeping them from developing. There are no tropical concerns into next week, at least.