Gustav remains a major hurricane, heads toward the U.S. Gulf Coast

We're watching Hurricane Gustav as well as Tropical Storm Hanna this weekend and into next week.
Gustav has weakened somewhat after passing over Cuba but is expected to maintain at least a category 3 (sustained winds of 111mph - 130mph) strength as it approaches our Gulf coast Monday. There may be some strengthening as this storm passes over the Gulf Loop Current (which if you remember the summer of Katrina and Rita, you heard a lot about it!) The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Gustav to make landfall as a Major Hurricane on Monday.

The track of Gustav (as of 5am Sunday) bring the center of circulation squarely upon central Louisiana, which puts Northeastern, Eastern Louisiana as well as Western Mississippi on the right side (the more powerful side) of the storm's path.

Tropical Storm Hanna remains a Tropical Storm through the rest of our holiday weekend, but will start to affect our coast with swells later today which would create dangerous rip currents.

Forecast models have been changing Hanna's path to reflect a more eastern component to the forecast track later next week which could bring Hanna to the SE Coast of the U.S. instead of the Caribbean and Gulf. That means we're watching this even more in your Weather on the Ones Forecast Center since Hanna may be affecting our weather into next weekend.