HOUSTON -- Though Thursday will be another beautiful, sunny day for Houston, there seems to be some trouble brewing in the tropics.
Ida revved up to hurricane strength off the coast of Nicaragua early Thursday morning, and it has a chance to get into the southern Gulf by the end of next week, 11 News Meteorologist David Paul said.
"Ida is down in the southern Caribbean right now, so it’s a long way away from the Gulf and Galveston-Houston," Paul said. "It’s going to dump a lot of rain over Nicaragua and Honduras over the weekend, and if it survives that track over the land, it would re-emerge and perhaps try to head toward the southern Gulf of Mexico."
But don’t get too worried – Paul said he thinks the chances of Ida making it into the Gulf – even as a tropical storm – are "iffy."
"Upper-level winds are strong here. I think this is going to be a hostile environment for Ida to get into the Gulf, but we will obviously track it, and you need to stay abreast of what’s going on here," Paul said.
As for Thursday, Paul said to expect sunshine and a high in the upper-70s, and more of the same Friday and Saturday.
Sunday, however, the rain chances will creep back into the forecast at 30 to 40 percent.
