Gordon and Helene still out to sea / Lane and Miriam pounding Mexico

Hurricane Lane made landfall in Sinaloa as a major Category 3 hurricane, slamming the state with 125 mph winds. Already there are two reported deaths, although the worst hit area is very lightly populated. Lane is losing strength and spinning down over land right now, but is still a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds. The storm which had been moving north-northeast prior to landfall is now being pushed back to the west as the low-level center is having a hard time climbing the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental. This is fairly typical for hurricanes encountering mountains taller than 5,000 feet or so.

The new threat to Mexico is Tropical Storm Miriam, although this storm isn't much of a threat. Due to interference from Lane, she won't ever get very strong. The "best path" also keeps Miriam offshore, although there's a reasonable chance she'll make landfall somewhere along Baja California. When she does, she'll be a minimal tropical storm, or even a tropical depression. This will just bring a lot more rain to the peninsula.

Gordon is now barely a hurricane, but Helene has now become the Atlantic's fourth of the year, and is still intensifying. The 5-day track of Helene still brings her nowhere near land. As we move into late September and October, we tend to be past the time of year when these storms forming far out to sea like Gordon and Helene can threaten North America. If the U.S. is going to see a hurricane landfall this year, it will come from the Western Carribbean or the Gulf of Mexico, most likely. There's still a ton of heat potential there to make for a devastating storm if atmospheric conditions are right, so the Gulf Coast can't relax yet. On the other hand, things are looking up for the eastern seaboard. While an old cold front moving out to sea could still spawn some Ophelia-like storms there before the season ends, they would likely be no stronger than a weak Category 2 at landfall.