VALDOSTA, Ga. – The weather is looking fairly sketchy at the moment and has caused a few events to be rescheduled, including the Quitman Skillet Festival, and the VSU Homecoming Parade, which will be at 4 p.m. Friday October 18 instead of Saturday.

The U.S. National Weather Service, Tallahassee, Florida reported at 5 a.m. this morning:

PTC (Potential Tropical Cyclone) 16 continues to move NE across the central Gulf of Mexico. Impacts will begin to be felt today with winds picking up across our western coastal areas by tonight.

US National Weather Service Tallahassee, Florida Facebook page.

As yet it is unknown whether any football games will be cancelled.

Just waiting…

Clouds are expanding over the Southeast, rain is moving in, according to Meteorologist John Wetherbee. “Storm is still unnamed and starting to trek across the Gulf. Not much change,” he wrote.

The low is started to “jump” to a more central location under some convection as expected, Wetherbee said on Friday, adding that it puts the “core” over the warmest waters in the Gulf. “The anticipation is still that we will get NESTOR sometime today, maybe at 11:00 this (Friday) morning.”

CONCERNS:

These have not changed either and we have added an addition threat to our list.

RAIN POTENTIAL – though a quicker moving storm means less total;

STORM SURGE – risk for sensitive Florida Gulf Coast to Clearwater;

TORNADOES – models setting up squall line into Upper Coast down Gulf Coast.

This is not like any other tropical event.  The gray skies, rain beginning, not a lot of wind yet may lead you to believe this is not a big deal.  It can be.

It’s not like BARRY: it’s a bit disorganized but it will pick up speed soon and is very typical for an October storm coming across the Gulf.

“We’ll just wait,” Wetherbee remarked. ” No new warnings or watches yet.  Don’t expect evacuations, though some flooding concerns. Stay alert.”