Irma appears to be stalled, just off Cuba.

[MineralMan]

It hasn't moved much since this morning. That's going to delay US landfall, and may alter the storm's course somewhat. It may also allow the storm to pick up some strength.

At this point, things are in limbo.

https://weather.weatherbug.com/maps/fort-myers-fl-33907?layerId=Radar.US&center=26.5885271,-80.1562500,7

[cwydro]

1. Never a good thing when they stall.

Especially in that warm water.

[MineralMan]

4. No, but it may also affect the track.

That's what everyone's worried about, and now we're back to not knowing exactly where it's going to hit.

[cwydro]

6. I completely agree.

We were just talking about that here with my hurricane watching friends.

At least I found out one of my Key West friends is sheltering with her children at St. Mary Star of the Sea church with the nuns there. HUGE building.

Plus, it can't hurt to be surrounded by nuns lol.

[janx]

10. YEP, and that is exactly the point that a lot of us have been trying to stress.

There's some magnificent science out there, but even NOAA and the NHC can't always predict what a hurricane will do specifically.

Oy. Thanks for letting us know, MM.

[blaze]

2. It does!

I went out this morning and expected to see it closer to Florida.

Poor Cuba is catching no mercy.

[cwydro]

7. Yeah, I haven't seen the CNN guy in Cuba in awhile.

Chris Cuomo said the poor guy was in a closet with his crew.

[Leghorn21]

3. I swear to god, if this storm makes landfall in Mobile, I wouldn't be surprised at this point.

What a nightmare this monster is.

[RandySF]

30. OMG I don't want to think about that.

Landing in Mobile means Irma would have spent time in the warm Gulf waters, meaning crashing onto land as a Category 5. I don't want to wish this storm on anyone, but it would be better for the country for her to just land in Florida.

[Leghorn21]

41. Me either, Randy - but Charley, '04, took that hard right when he was supposed to keep

heading northward, right, and OH. So we have learned, nobody knows nuthin until the storm hits where it hits - and Irma is just too unpredictable right now for anyone to think they know her ultimate destination -

Hell, a few hours back it was "east coast, east coast"! - and now the poor west coast is in chaotic dire straights - OH.

But I couldn't agree more: she does NOT need to wander into those steamy Gulf waters, so let's hope Florida takes the hit and has minimal, minimal damage...

[underpants]

5. Yikes.

Sounds like Minnesotans trying to take a left hand turn.

[MineralMan]

8. Either that, or Irma is at a four-way stop and can't decide

who gets to go first. That's also a Minnesota thing...

[MrsCoffee]

18. That's a Portland thing.

There is an episode of Portlandia that had me cracking up about it.

You go...

No, you go...

No, you go...

[MineralMan]

21. Same thing here in MN. It's a common joke, but it's a real phenomenon.

[MrsCoffee]

22. I believe it.

[Lars39]

32. Little town I grew up in has their own system

for that....everybody creeps up to or holds back from the line so that that everybody knows whose turn it is to go.

[flygal]

36. haha! I'm from Montana and we call that a "North Dakota Standoff"

[Not Ruth]

9. Maybe it will make a u turn

[bluepen]

11. That's false. At 3pm it was moving W at 9mph.

http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/wt/wtnt61.knhc.tcu.at1.txt

WTNT61 KNHC 091853
TCUAT1

Hurricane Irma Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL112017
300 PM EDT Sat Sep 09 2017

...300 PM EDT POSITION UPDATE...
...IRMA MOVING NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF CUBA ...

SUMMARY OF 300 PM EDT...1900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...23.1N 80.3W
ABOUT 55 MI...90 KM E OF VARADERO CUBA
ABOUT 140 MI...225 KM SE OF KEY WEST FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH...205 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 280 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...938 MB...27.70 INCHES

$$
Forecaster Pasch/Mello

[janx]

12. "Stalled" is relative, I suspect. n/t

[bluepen]

13. Maybe to the OP but it's false and misleading

as are the suppositions in this thread based on that false info.

[haveahart]

14. What's up with Jose? Moving slowly and it looks like gaining on Irma or am I seeing things?

[bluepen]

17. Latest accurate info:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?cone

[womanofthehills]

47. Now we are hearing that Jose might hit NYC in 10 days

Link to tweet

[Baclava]

15. Still moving west, maybe a jog to the NW

They are holding to their projected path as it creeps west

[bluepen]

16. Yep. Despite the baseless conjecture above, no change in track.

[cwydro]

20. Moving much more slowly than it was.

Which is still not a good thing.

[bluepen]

23. Correct. But there's no data showing it has stalled

and that its track is now more in question as a result. I just don't think that kind of baseless "information" helps anyone. That's all.

[Are_grits_groceries]

34. What in the world?

You are attacking MM like he lied under oath about you or something.
It was probably a generalization.
I have had plenty of spats on DU but you seem to be taking this personally.

Here is what NOAA posted at 2pm:
"IRMA LINGERING OVER THE NORTH COAST OF CUBA...
...MAJOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AT
DAYBREAK..."
Would you care to scold the life out of them for their choice of words?

Get a grip.

[bluepen]

37. Oh good grief

Settle down and see this: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9575699

Nothing I said was an "attack." Lol. The posts contained false information and baseless conjecture.

[Are_grits_groceries]

38. You settle down.

I think your remarks were harsh and that's my opinion.
And don't tell me what to do.

[bluepen]

39. Alrighty.

[Hoyt]

19. I know this view is dangerous, but that is one reason people don't flee so quickly.

Too often hurricanes do not track as earlier projected. Again, it's dangerous not to heed warnings, but . . . . . .

[bigtree]

24. looks like the eye is re-forming

[cwydro]

25. I wouldn't be surprised. nt

[MineralMan]

26. Hmm...interesting.

Well, it's still a huge, deadly storm, and it's going somewhere. My sister-in-law in Cape Coral (now evacuated to higher ground in Fr. Meyers) said that they're now delaying the time in the current predictions for landfall in Florida until later tomorrow. I'll be watching its path closely.

[Buns_of_Fire]

27. Pat Robertson is holding Irma off with the power of his mighty prayers.

But it's a tough battle, friends and neighbors. Pat has moments of weakness, which can only be alleviated by your OFFERINGS OF FAITH. Look, how much do you pay for insurance every year? $1000? $5000? More? Isn't it worth a mere $100 to keep Pat strong to save your earthly belongings? Merely send your offering to KEEP PAT STRONG, c/o Me @ My Address.

(Credit Cards not accepted. Please make checks payable to Cash.)

[MineralMan]

28. LOL!

Another bible-banging evangelist claimed that it was lesbians who were causing this hurricane. Maybe Robertson should give lesbian central a call and offer them money to stop it. Who knows?

[PCIntern]

33. I was gonna post a reply so non-PC

so filled with innuendo and grotesque sexuality but decided that I didn't want to get alerted...so all you got was this explanation as to why I didn't answer the hanging curve over the plate.

[janx]

35. Lesbians?

Because it's a herr-i-cane?

[central scrutinizer]

43. My pipeline to God,

Which is just as solid and provable as Pat Robertson's, asserts that there were no major hurricanes during Obama's tenure because he was an exemplary family man and father. Drumpf?, the opposite so here comes the wrath of God to punish the US for electing such a sinner.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Maybe God is trying to decide

where in Florida are the most gays and liberals?

Alternatively, there's another deity currently arm-wrestling with God to decide which one gets to send the storm somewhere.

Hey, I'm only speculating.

[MineralMan]

31. So much is unknown and mysterious, eh?

Is there an ancient pagan dance to appease the hurricane gods? Maybe someone should try that.

[William769]

40. It's starting to turn north as of this posting.

[Baclava]

42. yep - eye back over the water

?w=800&h=596

[MineralMan]

44. WNW for now.

I don't know if that will continue, but if it does, it might pass further offshore. Waiting.

[Baclava]

48. Projected path to the north remains the same at latest update, maybe a bit more east, slowing down

[janx]

45. Now it's only moving at 4 mph--

according to a TV station in West Palm. ?

[MineralMan]

46. Last I saw on MSNBC it was 7.

Don't know what that means, though. It does seem to be hugging the Cuban shore though. If it keeps the westerly movement long enough before turning more northward, that would help the west coast of Florida, but would mean more force elsewhere.