Remnants of Tropical Storm Mario Could Reach the Southwestern U.S.

A tropical depression that formed off the western coast of Mexico on Thursday is now a named tropical storm. Here is the latest on this developing situation in the Eastern Pacific, including whether the U.S. should expect to see any impacts.

Latest Update on Tropical Storm Mario

Tropical Storm Mario came to life on Friday morning as it neared the Pacific coast of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described Mario as a "mini" storm due to its compact size. As of Friday, Mario was barely at the status of a tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm is moving to the west-northwest at a fast clip of about 14 mph.

The NHC Friday update detailed that Mario was churning about 40 miles to the southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and approximately 60 miles to the south-southeast of the community of Lázaro Cárdenas. A tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the Michoacán state, stretching from Lázaro Cárdenas to Punta San Telmo.

Meteorologists are warning that Mario is forecast to intensify in the days ahead. The latest forecast is calling for rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches for those in the path. Localized higher amounts of up to 6 inches are possible. The higher terrains of Mexico are under the threat of flash flooding. This will translate to a greater risk of mudslides across the mountainous regions.

The NHC said that it is challenging to predict Mario's track and anticipated intensity due to its compact size. Mario's proximity to the coast of Mexico when it formed is also making it more difficult to predict its path.

Should Mario remain offshore for some time, it will be able to feast on the warm waters of this part of the basin to support its growth. However, the storm will also meet up with areas of wind shear that could mitigate its intensification as it moves parallel to the Mexican coastline heading into the weekend.

Even if the center of Mario does not come ashore, the storm will still deliver heavy rain and breezy conditions to the southern coast of Mexico over the next few days. Dangerous surf conditions and the risk of rip currents will continue to threaten the region through the weekend. Although the most powerful winds are forecast to remain offshore, gusty conditions of 40 to 60 mph are a possibility for the southern coast through Saturday.

Mario is the 13th named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The latest tropical storm sprang to life just a few days after Hurricane Lorena skirted about 200 miles off the coast of the resort town of Cabo San Lucas. Lorena did not make landfall in Mexico; however, the hurricane unleashed rough surf conditions and flooding in parts of northwestern Mexico.