Tropical Storm Zeta is expected to re-intensify into a hurricane on Wednesday and make landfall tomorrow evening over southeastern Louisiana. 2020 has already seen 4 named storms, 2 hurricanes and 1 major hurricane make landfall in Louisiana. Five hurricanes have hit the United States so far in 2020 (Hanna in late July, Isaias in early August, Laura in late August, Sally in mid-September, and Delta in early October) – and Zeta is likely to be the sixth.

As of 10:00 p.m. CDT (11:00 p.m. EDT) Tuesday, Tropical Storm Zeta was centered near 23.8°N 91.2°W, and was moving northwestward at about 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 60 knots (70 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 990 mb. An Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft has been investigating Zeta tonight and has not yet found hurricane-force winds, but the data is not currently transmitting publicly. Zeta has developed a ragged eye-like feature that has also been visible on microwave imagery. Zeta is likely to strengthen tomorrow as it remains in a somewhat favorable environment, though increasing wind shear and land interaction are likely to quickly weaken Zeta beginning tomorrow night. A deep cold low, which is currently bringing snow and ice to the western Plains and as far south as Texas, is likely to steer Zeta quickly northeastward, and Zeta should lose its tropical characteristics on Thursday. If Zeta makes landfall as a hurricane as currently expected, it will be the latest hurricane to strike the continental United States since Hurricane Kate struck the Florida Panhandle in November 1985. A Hurricane Warning is currently in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border, as well as Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans.

It’s been an extremely active hurricane season, and Zeta was actually the final name used in the then-record breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The Atlantic is one named storm from tying the record of 28. There are indications in the models that we could see another Caribbean tropical cyclone next week. A favorable phase of the Madden Julian Oscillation, as well as La Nina conditions, reduced wind shear and warmer than normal Caribbean surface temperatures, are likely to result in anomalously favorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis during November. The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on November 30.