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You've probably heard meteorologists mention a hurricane's "dirty side. "It's just their nickname for the right-front quadrant, the slice of the storm just ahead and to the right of its center. Forecasters call it that because several hazards, including wind, surge and heavy rain, tend to peak there all at once instead of spreading evenly across the storm. If you're going to feel a hurricane's worst side, this is usually it.(MORE: Live updates on Hurricane Isaias) The white box shows the right-front quadrant of a hurricane moving due north. In this case it was Hurricane Michael's approach to the Florida Panhandle in October 2018. (NOAA/CIMSS)Who's on Isaias' dirty sideHurricane Isaias' worst impacts, surge, wind and isolated tornadoes will land along and to the east of its track, putting Pensacola and Panama City squarely in the right-front quadrant. That's the side getting the heaviest hits, while areas west of the track see comparatively lighter impacts. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Stormfront moving across a beach.(Cyndi Monaghan/Getty Images)Summer may be over, but maybe you were just trying to squeeze in a last-minute beach vacation this weekend. Then Hurricane Isaias popped up. So, do you cancel your plans? Here's the consensus from several of the meteorologists on our team to save you the trouble of a disappointing, or even dangerous, trip. And even if you weren't planning on traveling but had some weekend plans, we've got you covered and can let you know if staying home and indoors is the real move.(MORE: Isaias continues to strengthen, targets Gulf Coast)Northern Gulf Coast: Alabama, Louisiana, MississippiWithout a doubt, it's time to cancel. This is an area where your vacation just won't be possible at all; it won't just be a sad, rainy day but truly a safety hazard to be in the area. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. Expect the possibility of: heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, waves and strong ocean currents, power outages, threat of tornadoes, road closures, airport disruptions. The verdict: Yes. 100% cancel your vacation; it's too dangerous to go.

Isaias finally became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season almost a month later than the previous record-long wait for the basin's first hurricane during an intensifying super El Niño. (ISAIAS COVERAGE: Forecast | Maps tracker)The Gulf storm was upgraded to a hurricane late Wednesday night, based on data from a Hurricane Hunter mission. Record-long waitUntil the night of Oct. 7, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season was shut out of hurricanes for the first four months. That was largely due to the intensifying super El Niño generating hostile conditions for hurricanes, like high wind shear and dry, sinking air over key stretches of the tropical Atlantic Basin. In the 60-year modern era in which satellites have routinely covered the Atlantic Basin, this is by far the longest we've waited for the first hurricane. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. The previous record-long wait in the satellite era was until Sept. 11, both in 2013 and 2002.

Alabama vs. Georgia: Isaias brings tropical threat to gamesOne of the biggest college football games of the 2026 regular season is up in the air, due to an approaching tropical system, Hurricane Isaias. The Georgia Bulldogs are set to travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this Saturday to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a massive top-10 SEC showdown. But the 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff is expected to be messy at best, with Isaias rolling through Alabama all day Saturday. That means torrential rain and strong winds all day for tailgaters and a very unfavorable evening for football. "This game is setting up to be a drenching one for the books," said weather.com meteorologist Faiza Mohammed.(MORE: Complete coverage on Isaias)Will the Alabama-Georgia game get moved? A general view inside Bryant-Denny Stadium during the national anthem before the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)So far, the SEC has said it is monitoring the situation, but no plans have been made to alter the start time or the location of this game.

Hurricane Isaias strengthening in the Gulf, to bring storm surge, flooding, tornadoes to Gulf Coast 🌀EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS: Hurricane Isaias could reach Category 3 strength as it barrels across the Gulf towards landfall late Friday or early Saturday. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross breaks down the dynamic factors that will influence landfall strength, location and impacts. Plus, details on heavy rain that will move inland including over the Alabama-Georgia college football game Saturday. Last updated at 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2026Isaias has rapidly intensified into a hurricane over the southern Gulf in a similar area where Milton spun up two years ago. But the steering flow is very different this time around. Isaias will turn north. In addition, upper-level winds will limit how strong this storm can get, though more strengthening is likely. LATEST FROM FOX WEATHER HURRICANE SPECIALIST BRYAN NORCROSS Satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Isaias. (CIRA CSU)On the current schedule, landfall will occur late on Friday or very early Saturday. The center looks most likely to cross the coast in Alabama or the western Florida Panhandle.

Why the Matterhorn and other peaks are literally falling apartThe mountains are coming unglued, and science can explain why. The Matterhorn, one of the most recognizable peaks in the world, is seeing more rock falls in recent years. Same for the Mont Blanc, the Himalayas and even Alaska. The aftermath of the August 26 flash flood along the Nepal-China Highway near the Bhote Koshi River at Syabrubesi in Nepal's Rasuwa district. (Getty Images)Recent examplesIn August, a towering cloud of dust rolled down the Matterhorn's south face as a chunk of rock broke loose. This was the latest in a run of rockfalls that forced Zermatt and Cervinia guides to repeatedly suspend climbs. But it isn’t just the Matterhorn. The Mont Blanc massif has seen numerous rockfalls this year. In the Himalayas, a large glacier gave way on the Langtang Lirung peak, creating an impact large enough to register on the USGS seismology scale. The debris fell into the Bhote Koshi River and temporarily clogged the river to form a lake.

Lakes Mead, Powell hit record-low water levels, lowest since 1957Lake Mead and Lake Powell are both fed by the Colorado River. Combined, the two haven't held this little water since 1957. That 1957 comparison is more telling than is seems. Lake Powell didn't exist back then — construction on Glen Canyon Dam had only just begun in 1956, and the reservoir wouldn't start filling until 1963. So in 1957, that "combined Mead and Powell" total was really just Lake Mead by itself. Since then, Powell added roughly 25 million acre-feet of storage capacity to the system — nearly doubling the total. Land and geologic formations that have been underwater since the 1960s, when Lake Powell was created, reemerge for the first time while record-low water levels continue to drop on Sept. 4, 2026 near Page, Arizona. Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the nation, reached its lowest water level in history and is in danger of dropping to the level of "dead pool," at which point the ability of its Glen Canyon Dam to produce hydropower would fail entirely.

Coffee drinkers may not enjoy the intense El Niño brewing in the Pacific Ocean this winter. The pattern is already bringing adverse weather conditions to regions critical to the world’s supply of coffee beans, potentially raising prices in the months ahead. DON’T MISS: The Super El Niño that contributed to tens of millions of deathsAlmost all of the world’s coffee beans grow in the tropics. Brazil produced more than 35 per cent of the global coffee supply in 2025-26, according to data from the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. Vietnam holds the number-two spot with almost 18 per cent of the world’s coffee production, followed far behind by Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. These regions also rank among the most heavily impacted by the effects of a strong El Niño. We often think about El Niño’s impacts here at home in terms of snowfall and mild wintertime temperatures. But this pattern truly has global repercussions. Content continues belowA strong El Niño often leads to below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures throughout much of the western Pacific and southeastern Asia.

THE TAKEAWAYHurricane Isaias has formed in the Gulf. The storm marks the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin in over 340 days. Isaias has a history of tropical tornadoes, producing 39 twisters in 2020. More tropical trouble is brewing in the Gulf of America as Hurricane Isaias churns, marking the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin in over 340 days. Hurricane hunters deployed Wednesday to provide crucial data for models on the storm's potential and how favorable the environment is. This graphic shows the Gulf moisture setup on Thursday morning.(FOX Weather) Hurricane Isaias has a history of tropical tornadoes, as it produced 39 twisters back in 2020, the largest number of tornadoes produced by a U. S. landfalling tropical cyclone since Hurricane Florence in 2018. During the severe storm event, 17 of the 39 tornadoes occurred before the hurricane made landfall over about eight hours in 2020, according to the National Hurricane Center. THE LATEST FROM FOX WEATHER HURRICANE SPECIALIST BRYAN NORCROSSOf the tornadoes, one was rated an EF-3, seven were EF-2, 17 were EF-1 and 14 were EF-0, respectively, according to authorities.

Hurricane Isaias continues to develop in the Gulf of America, prompting storm alerts and preparations for thousands, but those beyond the coastline will also feel its impacts. As Isaias continues to churn, the FOX Forecast Center expects the storm to reach Category 2 strength by the time it becomes a hurricane, and it could make landfall on Friday anywhere between Gulfport, Mississippi and parts of Florida. Given the dangerous threat of landfall, it’s safe to say areas north of the Gulf coast will experience impacts. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HURRICANE MAKING A DIRECT HIT AND LANDFALL? Heavy rain and flooding will push north from the Gulf coast into parts of the South, where the wet weather will persist through the weekend. Popular southern cities such as Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee, New Orleans, Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama, face elevated risk as wind gusts up to 75 mph, torrential rain and possible tornadoes begin to wreak havoc.

Hurricane Isaias is expected to intensify as it barrels toward Louisiana and Mississippi, where many oil rigs are located. THE TAKEAWAYThe Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) is monitoring offshore oil and gas operators as they prepare for Hurricane Isaias. MMA said it will work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies. Shell and Chevron announced Wednesday that they were reducing offshore operations in the Gulf as the storm approached the region. Numerous oil and gas companies are monitoring offshore operations in the Gulf of America as Hurricane Isaias develops. Shell and Chevron announced Wednesday that they were reducing offshore operations in the Gulf as the storm approached the region. Shell said it was evacuating all personnel and shutting in production at five rigs, while Chevron said it had begun shut-in procedures at four facilities. TROPICAL DEPRESSION NINE FORMS IN THE ATLANTIC ON TRACK TO BE FIRST DANGEROUS HURRICANE OF THE SEASONThis comes as forecasters say the system is expected to intensify into the dangerous Hurricane Isaias and barrel toward Louisiana and Mississippi, where many oil rigs are located.

THE TAKEAWAYTwo tropical systems are threatening to impact both coasts at nearly the same time this weekend. Hurricane Isaias continues to strengthen in the Gulf of America after becoming the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. At the same time, the remnants of Hurricane Rachel are expected to send a surge of tropical moisture into California and the Southwest. A rare weather setup is taking shape across the U. S. this weekend, with tropical systems threatening to impact both coasts at nearly the same time. EVACUATIONS ONGOING, STATES OF EMERGENCY DECLARED AHEAD OF FUTURE HURRICANE ISAIAS’ DANGEROUS LANDFALLHurricane Isaias continues to strengthen in the Gulf of America and has become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Rachel are expected to send a surge of tropical moisture into California and the Southwest, triggering heavy rain and flooding. Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf. (FOX Weather)The unusual setup could mark only the third time since 1963 that tropical systems have impacted the East and West Coast at the same time.

THE TAKEAWAYTropical Storm Isaias has formed in the southern Gulf and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast later this week. A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida. Heavy rain is expected to begin on Friday, with flash flooding, damaging wind gusts, potentially life-threatening storm surge and even tornadoes possible as the storm comes ashore. Landfall is currently expected sometime between late Friday and early Saturday, but uncertainty remains regarding exactly where and how strong Isaias will be at that time. Hurricane and Storm Surge Warnings have been issued for the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Isaias continues to strengthen in the southern Gulf and is forecast to rapidly intensify into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane. HOW ARE HURRICANES RATED? Isaias is expected to approach the coast by Friday, with landfall currently estimated to be sometime late Friday or early Saturday between Gulfport, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida. Isaias stats(FOX Weather) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Alabama Gov.

So, what makes a pumpkin patch so perfectly autumnal? Well, if you visit Maan Farms in B. C., you may find the answer. Explore its hidden weather secrets, from the heat-trapping valleys that are ideal for pumpkins to the cool, humid air of a corn maze. Uncover the science behind the season's magic. Watch the video above to see how Maan Farms uses the unique microclimates of the season to create an unforgettable fall adventure for everyone. Thumbnail courtesy of Getty Images/Iuliia Zavalishina.

Sleet, snow and freezing rain: Types of winter precipitation explainedYou are probably familiar with the three types of winter precipitation: snow, sleet and freezing rain. But do you know the difference among the three? Let me walk you through it. Picture a snowflake forming inside a cloud thousands of feet above you, about to begin its fall. That journey between the cloud and the ground is what defines what type of precipitation it will be, and while all three occur in winter, the impacts are very different. The temperature of the atmosphere will determine what type of winter precipitation you receive. As the raindrop falls and stays in temperatures above freezing for much of its journey to the surface, it will sometimes enter a layer of freezing air before hitting the surface. If that cold layer is deep enough, the raindrop has time to turn to ice. It hits the ground already frozen, bounces and lands as sleet: those small, hard ice pellets that ping off your windshield and pile up like tiny beads on the sidewalk. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

The lack of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean this season can at least be partly blamed on a "super" El Niño in progress. However, Tropical Storm Isaias has arrived and is expected to intensify further. It is forecast to reach hurricane status to become the Atlantic basin's first of the season. Residents in the Yucatán Peninsula and along the northern U. S. Gulf Coast are advised to closely monitor this system's development. Isaias comes to life, poses threat to landBy early Wednesday morning, Tropical Storm Isaias came to life in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to track slowly eastward or east-northeastward during during the next couple of days while it moves in the flow near the base of a deep-layer trough. The storm is forecast to strengthen steadily and is expected to become the Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season by Thursday. This would mark the latest first hurricane development in the Atlantic basin since 1966. Content continues belowBy Friday, a sharp turn to the northeast is expected when a trough forms over Texas and a ridge strengthens over it. There is an increasing risk of dangerous wind and storm surge impacts along portions of the northern Gulf Coast.

Prediction markets at Kalshi expect a 99% chance of rain in Miami, with thunderstorms expected Wednesday evening. Future Hurricane Isaias threatens Gulf Coast landfall this weekend Future Hurricane Isaias is forecast to make landfall along the U. S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous hurricane this weekend. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross breaks down the storm’s forecast track, when impacts will begin and what to expect as Isaias strengthens over the Gulf. FLORIDA – Millions of people in the Southeast U. S. are bracing for days of severe weather as future Hurricane Isaias brews in the Gulf, with some precipitation impacts beginning Wednesday. As thousands of residents in the Southeast begin storm preparations, wet weather begins Wednesda, with popular locations such as Miami having a chance of showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. FLORIDA’S WET PATTERN COULD BRING MORE RAIN TO MIAMI THIS MONTHThis comes as the Sunshine State is locked into an extended period of wet weather, thanks to a slow-moving stationary front.

Hurricane Isaias appears to be the most impactful storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season dominated by a super El Niño. So far this century, storms beginning with "I" have often been the most damaging. (MORE: Latest forecast | tracking maps)Eleven "I" hurricanes retiredOver the past 25 years, 11 other "I" hurricanes have had their names retired by the World Meteorological Organization. By retired, we mean no future Atlantic Basin storm will use that name again. The name is retired when a particular tropical storm or hurricane is so deadly and/or damaging that future use might be considered insensitive or confusing. When that happens, a new name is chosen by a WMO committee that will be used every six years going forward. Isaias replaced Ike when that notorious 2008 hurricane name was retired. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. Tracks and locations of retired hurricanes starting with the letter "I" from 2001 through 2025. (Data: NOAA/NHC)The notorious "I" listHere's the list of 11 retired "I" hurricanes, starting with the most recent.