Photo: CIRA/NOAA
Hurricane Priscilla is weakening in the Pacific Ocean but remains a threat to parts of Mexico and the southwestern United States. According to the National Hurricane Center, as of 11 am ET on Wednesday (October 8), Priscilla was located about 195 miles southwest of Baja California's southern tip, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph. The storm is expected to continue weakening over the next 48 hours.
Tropical storm conditions are possible today along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, where a tropical storm watch is in effect from Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lazaro. As Priscilla moves parallel to the Baja California coast, it is forecast to bring up to an inch of rain across the peninsula.
In the southwestern United States, Priscilla's moisture is expected to lead to heavy rainfall, with two to four inches predicted and local totals reaching six inches in parts of central and northern Arizona and southern Utah from Thursday into Saturday morning. This rainfall could result in flash flooding across central Arizona, southern Utah, the Four Corners region, and into southwest Colorado and far northwest New Mexico.
Large swells generated by Priscilla are affecting the coasts of southwestern and west-central Mexico, as well as the southern Baja California peninsula, causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Residents in affected areas are advised to prepare for potential flooding and hazardous conditions.