Tropical Depression 2 formed Thursday evening in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
At 5 p.m., the system was located 305 miles west-northwest of Fort Myers.
The depression is moving toward the west-northwest at 2 mph. A motion to the south is expected to begin by Friday with gradually increasing forward speed.
Winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts.
No watches or warnings are currently in effect.
Some modest intensification is forecast, and the depression could become a tropical storm Thursday night or Friday. However, the system should begin to weaken by Friday night and degenerate into a remnant low by Saturday.
If the depression becomes a tropical storm, its name would be “Arlene.”
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb.
Tropical Depression 2 is the first tropical depression of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center concluded an earlier January system became subtropical, but was not assigned a name.
The complex will stay well away from Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida and will not impact our weather.
Thursday is also the first day of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.