How To Track Hurricane Jose, In Case You're Still Not A Weather Nerd

Although this hurricane season is turning everyone into an armchair meteorologist, don't be shy if you're still figuring out exactly where to go for all of your hurricane tracking needs. And at the moment, even if you've already gotten a handle on Irma, you still need to know how to track Hurricane Jose. Unfortunately, this second Atlantic storm is already threatening some of the same places that are only just now beginning to reckon with the devastating damage Irma left behind.

As a good rule of thumb, it's always good to check out the National Hurricane Center's website first. It'll show you all the storms currently on the radar, and if you click on the icon representing Hurricane Jose, it will take you to a page showing its position, how big it currently is, and where it's predicted to go next. And just in case you're new to the hurricane tracking business, it'll also tell you exactly what it means by terms like "tropical depression" or "major hurricane."

The best way to track a storm, though, is to look at multiple models — and there are several high quality services out there. Accuweather will give you in-depth analysis and predictions for Hurricane Jose and any other storm, and, of course, the Weather Channel is also a good place to turn.

If you'd like to get multiple forecasts in one place and in real time, possibly the most fun way to track a storm is to follow meteorologists on Twitter. They aren't just guys in front of a green screen making strange hand motions — they're highly trained scientists, and they can gather far more information from weather maps than you can, even after the last couple of storms. As you're tracking Jose, it's imperative to remember to check your sources, as a lot of hoaxes have been coming out about Hurricane Irma, and misinformation can be quite dangerous when it concerns, for example, whether or not you need to evacuate your home.

Currently, it looks like Jose poses the biggest threat to the places that are absolutely not in a position to handle it — specifically, the Leeward Islands, which already suffered terrible damage from Irma. The NHC predicts that Jose could bring hurricane-force winds to these islands during the day on Saturday, potentially further damaging the already weakened structures. After that, it's likely to skim just north of Puerto Rico before heading further north into the ocean and away from land. Jose is currently a Category 3 storm, so at least the Leeward Islands won't be facing another hit from a Category 5 storm. Still, the thing about the weather is that predictions do change and unexpected things can happen, so it's definitely for the best to keep tracking Hurricane Jose's progress.