At a Glance

A stalling front in the Gulf allowed a weak area of low pressure to develop.Upper-level winds, however, did not allow for further development.

The northern Gulf of Mexico was watched for possible tropical development as a stalling cold front generated stormy conditions over its waters.

A weak area of low pressure formed along the front in the northern Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), but there is a near zero percent chance that the low could organize into a subtropical or tropical depression.

Gulf of Mexico waters are plenty warm for tropical development, but dry air and strong upper-level winds near the Gulf Coast hampered any attempts at organization.

The front will produce showers and thunderstorms from the Gulf of Mexico to parts of Florida over the next few days. Moisture is also expected to surge northward this weekend and could increase the chance of thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast.

An area of low pressure along a stalled front in the Gulf of Mexico could organize into a subtropical or tropical system.

Stalled fronts draped across the Gulf of Mexico or off the southeastern U.S. coast can be an instigator for tropical development, particularly early in the hurricane season.

The fronts are an immediate source of lift and spin in the atmosphere that can sometimes give birth to a consolidated area of low pressure. A tropical depression or storm can occasionally form as the front dies away if the low is located in an area with favorable upper-level winds and warm sea-surface temperatures.