Tropical Depression Sixteen Forms East of Bahamas

IR Color satellite picture of newly formed Tropical Depression 16. - October 11, 2012

Update: 10/12/12 - TD 16 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Patty yesterday, and is expected to weaken over the next 24-36 hours.

A late season tropical depression developed this morning about 235 miles east of the central Bahama Islands or about 300 miles east of South Florida. The National Hurricane Center notes that there was enough persistent deep convection associated with an area of low pressure to upgrade the system to a tropical cyclone with 35 mph winds.

Tropical Depression 16 looks to be a very short-live cyclone, as wind shear is forecast to increase helping to tear the system apart over the next 24-36 hours. A strong high pressure system will slowly steer TD 16 southwestward against the stronger upper-level winds out of the southwest screaming across Florida, and this will make for an extremely hostile environment, and rapid weakening of the cyclone.

As of right now, there looks to be no threat to Florida as the tropical depression is expected to dissipate before reaching the Bahamas. Although, you never turn your back to the tropics, and we'll continue to keep an eye on the system going into the weekend, if it survives that long.