Tropical system in Gulf to bring needed rain to New Orleans metro

Threat level: The system is expected to bring up to 3 inches of rain to New Orleans, according to the National Weather Service in Slidell. Higher amounts are possible, especially near the coast.

• The greatest chance of rain and flash flooding will be south of Interstate 10 and Interstate 12, forecasters say.
• Strong winds may make driving on bridges more difficult, especially Wednesday afternoon into the evening. A wind advisory is in effect Wednesday.
• Significant coastal flooding of 1 to 3 feet is possible, and a coastal flood warning is in effect.

The big picture: Southeast Louisiana needs rain. As of Wednesday morning, New Orleans is more than 25 inches below normal rainfall for the year, NWS forecasters say.

• Nearly 100% of Louisiana is in a drought, and it is leading to saltwater intrusion threats to drinking water, wildfires, falling trees and more cockroaches.
• A burn ban remains in effect statewide.

The latest: The system, Invest AL93, is over the southwestern Gulf and moving north, as of a 1pm Tuesday update from the National Hurricane Center.

• The disturbance has a 30% chance of developing into a tropical depression within 48 hours. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters team was en route to investigate the system Tuesday afternoon.
• It's expected to merge with another system by Wednesday morning.

Zoom out: Systems can form at any time, but historically the most active period for strong storms in the Gulf is August and September.

• Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

Go deeper: What's in our hurricane emergency kits.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional forecast details.