NEW: Tropical Storm Helene formed in the northwestern Caribbean on Tuesday morning. Helene will quickly intensify in the coming days as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. See The Tropics section for the latest on the storm.

A slow-moving cold front will creep towards the region today before finally sweeping through southern Louisiana Wednesday. The front will bring lower humidity and cooler temperatures while also steering soon-to-be Helene off to the east. 

Today & Tonight:  A few patchy areas of fog may be spotted during the Tuesday morning commute, while skies will be mostly clear and temperatures will begin in the low 70's. Tuesday afternoon will be hot and steamy with well above average temperatures in the low to middle 90's. Skies will see a mix of sun and clouds as rain coverage remains very slim this afternoon with only a few pop-up storms likely around the region. Overnight, conditions will be mild and muggy with partly cloudy skies and the possibility for a few showers as a cold front moves in from the northwest. 

Up Next: The cold front will continue its slow trek across the state on Wednesday, squeezing out scattered showers around the Capital Region during the day as it does. The front will likely clear the area by early Thursday, allowing northerly winds to usher in drier, and slightly cooler air. Through the weekend, afternoon highs will be in the middle to upper 80's with plenty of sunshine and little to no rain. Morning lows will also give a taste of fall as they begin in 60's each morning beginning Friday through the weekend! 

The cold front will also play an important role in the track of what will eventually become Hurricane Helene. That storm will enter the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday (see The Tropics section). Those that benefit from the passage of said front will also be effectively shielded from major tropical impacts. This is the likely scenario for southeast Louisiana. However, areas to the east won't be quite as lucky. A major hurricane landfall is possible closer to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region on Thursday. Stick with the Storm Station as new data continues to arrive.

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The Tropics: Based on Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft data, Tropical Storm Helene appears to have formed as of 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. The system became better organized, enough to be classified as a tropical storm. Helene has maximum sustained winds at 45 mph and is moving northwest at 12 mph as the storm sits 180 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. 

Further intensification of Helene is likely as it enters the Gulf of Mexico. The system will become a hurricane during that time. Rapid intensification is possible as Helene bears down on the Florida coast. The latest forecast projects a Category 3 landfall near the Big Bend region of Florida. Even with the center tracking closer to northern parts of the state, impacts will be felt across the entirety of Florida. Louisiana will not see any direct impacts from Helene.

Tropical Storm Warnings and Hurricane Watches are posted for portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches are in effect for parts of the Florida Coast. These will likely get upgraded to warnings in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in the eastern Atlantic, a tropical wave is approaching the Cabo Verde Islands. Conditions appear favorable for gradual development of this system. A tropical depression is likely to form later this week while moving westward across the central tropical Atlantic. Should this system reach tropical storm strength, it would take the name Isaac. This disturbance does not appear to bring any impacts to Louisiana in the long-term.

- Emma Kate C., Malcolm Byron

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