Earl Update: 1:00 AM

Infrared Satellite (courtesy of http://www.ral.ucar.edu/weather/)

Hurricane Earl is continuing to weaken as it moves into cooler ocean waters.  Also to note, Earl has also started to turn more NNE which will take it far enough off the Jersey coastline to make it's impact less severe for the northern regions of the state.  Cape May and Atlantic Counties will still feel the worst of the storm in terms of rain and wind.  Although there will be minimal amounts of rain with Earl, those areas could see winds potentially reaching 40-45 mph during the morning and early afternoon hours when Earl is closest.  The further north you are, the less chance you have of seeing any strong gusty winds.
Again the primary concern is along the coast, as large swells and gusty winds will batter the shoreline causing costly beach erosion and exposing the shore towns to possible flooding.  Unless, Earl shifts to west overnight, which is not expected, the NE portions of the state should see a minimal impact from this storm.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Fiona is weakening as it turns toward Bermuda.  Bermuda is currently under a tropical storm warning as Fiona is forecasted to pass just to the west, if not make landfall, of the island as a minimal tropical storm.
Gaston was forecasted to become a hurricane in a few days; however, he ran into a very dry Saharan air mass and did not survive.  This morning, the convection had diminished and the cluster could not hold together.  As a result, the storm was downgraded to a Tropical Depression and as of 5PM, no more advisories will be made for Gaston.  There is a chance the remnants could reform as it enters the Caribbean but that is still too far out.  Another tropical wave has entered the Atlantic and the NHC is giving this wave a 10% chance to form.  If it does, the next storm will be named Hermine.

- Meteorologist Anthony Dalbo