New hurricane model forecast have put potential U.S. landfall of Hurricane Ike along the U.S. Gulf coast. Latest estimations put the region from Port Lavaca to Port Arthur at the greatest risk. Ike is forecasted to be major hurricane at this time period with winds in excess of 115 mph and it could potentially be a catastrophic CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE.
The upper level winds and sea surface temperatures provide a favorable environment for Hurricane Ike. SSTs are greater than 30 C in many parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, there is a very warm loop current in the southern Gulf which will add fuel to the fire. Some of the latest computer models make Hurricane Ike a category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.
Note that the path of Hurricane Ike will be heavily influenced by its forward speed over the next several days. If it moves quickly south Texas will get hit, if it moves slower southeast Texas will be hit. Residents along the Texas coast should closely monitor this situation. For more current information on Hurricane Ike see the links and graphics below.
Tropical WX 
