I'm not a meteorologist nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but there are a couple of factors that can possibly maybe even probably still change the track of Irma and steer it away from Florida or hopefully OTS. The latest forecast track rightfully factors in a huge cold weather trough that dips well into the south, thus pushing Irma south and west. There is some disagreement among experts and models about that trough, its strength and its timing. If it is not as strong as expected then that opens that gate for Irma to make that northward curve, hopefully in time to miss landfall in the US altogether. Let's all cross our fingers and toes hoping that this happens.This is just a little ray of hope.
Anyone going to or living in Florida this week should take forecasts seriously. Even a miss could result in a sloppy and potentially dangerous situation pretty much anywhere along the east coast at this point. For example, I was at WDW when Sandy came in and curved parallel to the Florida coast. It never made landfall in Florida but it made things wet and messy.