SANDY continues to be our headline for the afternoon, even though she is still south of Jamaica. But her tropical circulation is creating an onshore flow on our coasts and that’s changing our weather. The bottom line for Georgia and South Carolina is that she will create windy conditions, a few showers or even a band or two of showers, and she will stay offshore away from us. Beach erosion may be our biggest problem from the passing of SANDY. High pressure is still in charge for us this dry afternoon, now drifting farther north. A weak coastal trough is developing (as departing highs often do) and that’s adding to the onshore flow. So more fair weather clouds in our skies this afternoon and lovely temperatures again. More clouds tonight, so not quite as cool. The high loosens its grip and a strong upper-level trough dives out of the Ohio Valley right into the weekend. This trough will be directing where SANDY goes. Right now, SANDY is expected to be a hurricane before landfall over Jamaica tomorrow. She will then track due north across eastern Cuba into the central Bahamas. Watches will be upgraded to warnings later today. She will be closest to SE Florida Friday morning. Tropical storm winds may extend as far as Orlando late Friday. And there’s a real buzz on the social media sites suggesting that SANDY will hold together right up the East Coast with snow and hurricane-force winds, maybe non-tropical but certainly with a punch from Carolina northward. A “perfect storm”? Several models think so. We’ll be watching.