MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- A swirl of low pressure off the South Carolina coast has gained enough organization to be called Subtropical Storm Ana.
The first named storm of the year has peak winds of 45 mph and is 170 miles south-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The system is moving north at a slow 2 mph.
Ana is forecast to meander off the coast of the Carolinas while maintaining its strength in the short-term. After possible impacts with land near the mid-Atlantic, Ana is forecast to then lift generally to the northeast in a weakened phase.
As a subtropical system, the storm has a mix of tropical, warm air and cooler air contained in its circulation. The storm's wind field is a bit broader than a purely tropical storm. Nonetheless, gusts of wind and periods of heavy rain near the low can still be expected to impact coastal areas of South and North Carolina, with lesser chances for outer shower bands to reach the coastal Georgia region.
In the Big Bend, only drier side-effects will be experienced as northerly winds will maintain the current dry and hot afternoon trend. No direct impact is forecast for the region.
