What is the status of the Eastern ridge protecting east FL?

[Florida_brit]

Last year there was mention of the Eastern ridge that normally protects Eastern Florida from hurricanes had not formed. Earlier this season there was talk of the ridge reforming. Now with TD!2 on the way to eastern Florida and given its current path doesn't appear to be heading off into the Atlantic (though early days and a weak system at the moment)...so can someone tell me if the ridge has formed and what the status is? I do hope Florida doesn't have to experience a year last like year as being within 5miles of Frances and Jeanne eye centre wasn't fun! Prior to that we had escape a major hurricane for near 60 odd years other than bands of rain and the odd outer rim of the hurricanes with less winds.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

The ridge protecting Eastern Florida? There is no ridge protecting Florida.

[gkrangers]

Yeah...its gonna hit Florida...because the ridging is progged to be very weak..this will allow the NW motion into Florida....then the ridge is expected to strengthen and push the storm westward over Florida and into the GOM.

[Florida_brit]

What do you mean - there isn't a ridge this year? Or there never normally is as I have heard reference to the ridge on many websites including this one and tv in the past

Thanksx

[sma10]

What do you mean - there isn't a ridge this year? Or there never normally is as I have heard reference to the ridge on many websites including this one and tv in the past

Thanksx

It's actually the counterclockwise flow around the ridge that is probably going to steer this system westward into Florida at some point.

[gkrangers]

What do you mean - there isn't a ridge this year? Or there never normally is as I have heard reference to the ridge on many websites including this one and tv in the past

Thanksx

It's actually the counterclockwise flow around the ridge that is probably going to steer this system westward into Florida at some point.

clockwise.

[sma10]

What do you mean - there isn't a ridge this year? Or there never normally is as I have heard reference to the ridge on many websites including this one and tv in the past

Thanksx

It's actually the counterclockwise flow around the ridge that is probably going to steer this system westward into Florida at some point.

clockwise.

Er, yeah. That.
Right string, wrong yo-yo....

[spinfan4eva]

That ridge is what caused the storms of 2004 to hit florida because and no trough came in to break down the ridge to allow the storms to go fishing. A ridge off the east coast is not a good thing when there is a hurricane down the pike, It generally turns a storm west then northwest toward florida or someone in the southeast depending on the strength of the ridge.

One other note, it all depends on the strength of the ridge, the location of the ridge, whether there is a trough upstream to break down the ridge, and the position of the cyclone as to whether a storm will clear the coast of fla or the southeast or go fishing or enter the gulf. There is no way of saying a ridge is going to protect fla this season or send storms towards fla this season. Its all in the timing of everything