Forecast calls for a Cat 1 hurricane in Gulf

Locals who stocked up with hurricane provisions Hurricane Irma approached the United States in September will get another chance to use them, as soon as this weekend.

The National Weather Service is keeping close eyes on Tropical Depression 16 as it formed in the Southwest Caribbean in the middle of the week.

The TD was predicted to turn into Tropical Storm Nate late Wednesday evening or today.

The forecast predicted the tropical depression will move north into the Gulf of Mexico and has the potential to strengthen into a hurricane.

While it is too early to assume a specific area of impact, there are watches for portions of the northern Gulf Coast from Thursday evening to Friday morning.

As the storm system was beginning to organize, there were many different potential outcomes of landfall.

However, the most likely time of tropical force winds for the northern Gulf Coast is late Saturday night to early Sunday morning. Areas between Florida and Louisiana should keep updated on the storm system.

The tropical force winds could arrive as early as Saturday afternoon.

Because the system could interact with some land, pinpointing the exact intensity of the system will be difficult.

There is potential for the storm to pick up intensity.

Most of the models used to predict the storm system suggest that Tropical Depression 16 will form into a low-end hurricane.