ORLANDO, Fla. — Drier air aloft allowed us to lower rain chances Wednesday, with most of us staying rain free and heating into the upper 80s and low 90s.

Gordon made landfall along the Mississippi coast Tuesday night, and is quickly pushing across the lower Tennessee valley.

Behind it, we’ve been able to pull in some drier air aloft. This kept shower and storm chances very low Wednesday with a few isolated downpours moving quickly east to west.

We’ll throw in an isolated coastal shower threat overnight, but most of us stay rain free.

An area of low pressure due east of the state will drift slowly toward us the next couple days.

Rain coverage is currently at 40 percent area wide Thursday and may nudge up slightly if moisture is able to return quicker than anticipated. Highs reach either side of 90.

An upper level low to our east is drifting in our direction and set to increase atmospheric moisture, but we may still be able to squeeze out a fairly dry Thursday.

More moisture streams in Friday and Saturday allowing us to bump shower and storm coverage to 60 percent each afternoon.

Models do differ in our weekend forecast, so for now we will keep a 50 percent rain chance in the forecast Sunday.

High pressure over us next week will keep winds fairly light and allow a typical wet season rain chance of 40 percent Monday through Wednesday. Highs don’t stray too far from seasonable levels in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

Wave heights are generally expected to be around one to two feet, occasionally higher. Sea surface temps have warmed nicely into the low to mid-80s.

If you’re taking advantage of the comfortable water temps, don’t forget the sunscreen. The ultraviolet index is very high, so under 15 minutes for a sunburn.

Tropical Update

Elsewhere in the tropics, Hurricane Florence is much stronger than forecast even with southwesterly shear.

It’ll meander back toward the west and northwest, but right now it does not appear to be a threat for Florida.

We do have our eye on two other systems near Africa.

Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September and runs through Nov. 30.

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