Fred no longer a Tropical Depression; Grace less organized, but still a Tropical Storm

Fred is no longer a tropical depression. That said, Fred is expected to become better organized late tonight or tomorrow as it moves out into the Gulf. There was another slight shift in the track already today and further adjustments to the track are possible. Significant intensification seems unlikely, but Fred could make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast as a tropical storm. If Fred gets its act together, we would be looking at the potential for a tropical storm or a strong tropical storm at worst as none of the guidance indicates anything stronger than a tropical storm. Landfall is looking more likely along the western Florida panhandle or Alabama coastline, but we could see further adjustments to the track given the current lack of organization of Fred.

At 2 p.m. AST, the center of Tropical Storm Grace was located over the Atlantic Ocean about 185 miles (345 km) east-southeast of the Leeward Islands. Preliminary reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the center may be located farther to the southwest, and a relocation could be required in the 5 p.m. AST advisory.