1. Tropical Depression Twenty-Two is expected to strengthen to atropical storm, and possibly a hurricane, while moving slowly overthe western Gulf of Mexico during the next few days.

2. There is an increasing risk of heavy rainfall and flooding along the Texas coast from Sunday through at least the middle of next week as the system is forecast to move slowly near the Texas coast. For additional information, see products from your local National Weather Service office.

3. While it is too early to determine what areas could see directwind and storm surge impacts from this system, interests throughout the western Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of this system and future updates to the forecast.

Interests along the western Gulf of Mexico coast should monitor the progress of the depression.

SURF: Swells are expected to increase and reach the coast of Texas and the Gulf Coast of Mexico over the weekend, generated by a combination of the depression and a cold front entering the northern Gulf of Mexico. These swells are likely to cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression TwentyTwo was located near latitude 23.8 North, longitude 93.9 West. The depression is moving toward the northnortheast near 7 mph (11 km/h), and this general motion is expected through early Saturday. A slow westward motion is forecast to begin late Saturday or Saturday night, and this motion will likely continue into early next week.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm later today. The system could be near or at hurricane strength by Sunday.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).

Satellite imagery indicates that Tropical Depression Twenty-Two is getting better organized, with gradually increasing convective banding in the northeastern semicircle. Satellite intensity estimates include 35 kt from TAFB, 30 kt from SAB, and 35 kt from CIMSS satellite consensus, which means the depression is close to tropical-storm strength. Given the lack of organization seen in earlier scatterometer data, the intensity will be held at 30 kt pending the data from the next set of scatterometer overpasses. It should be noted that the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft that was scheduled to investigate the depression had to turn back after getting hit by lightning.The initial motion is a somewhat uncertain 015/6. For the next 24 h or so, the cyclone should move north-northeastward as it is steered by a mid- to upper-level trough over Texas and northeastern Mexico. This trough is then expected to lift out to the northeast, with low- to mid-level ridging building to the north of the cyclone. This should cause a westward turn at a continued slow forward speed. Near the end of the forecast period, a mid-latitude trough over the central United States should cause the ridge to weaken and steer the cyclone northward to northeastward near the Texas coast. While the guidance agrees with this general sense of the motion, there are a lot of differences in the models on the when's and where's of the various turns. Therefore, it is critical that users not focus on the exact forecast track, especially at days 4 and 5 when the average NHC forecast error is about 175 and 200 miles, respectively.The depression is currently in an environment of light to moderate southwesterly shear, and the global models suggest that this will generally continue through the forecast period. This, combined with forecast dry air entrainment near the 72 h point, has resulted in the intensity guidance keeping the system near to below hurricane strength through the forecast period. The new intensity forecast is changed little from the previous one and calls for the cyclone to be at hurricane strength at 60 and 72 h. However, this part of the forecast lies at the upper edge of the intensity guidance envelope.