Hurricane Rafael continued to churn in the Gulf of Mexico Friday.
The storm is currently thought to continue drifting west to west-northwest over the coming days before steering currents weaken, leading the storm to creep over the central Gulf.
Eventually, a combination of wind shear and dry air is expected to fell the system by mid-week.
While direct land impacts are not currently expected for our area, associated moisture from Rafael could bump up rain chances this weekend.
The local National Weather Service office adds minor to moderate coastal flooding and higher winds and seas in coastal waters are also possible.