The National Hurricane Center warns that a poorly organized Cristobal could eventually bring rain, wind and surge anywhere from Texas to Florida.
WWL TV Chief Meteorologist Chris Franklin says while the center is forecast to head for Louisiana, the impacts could be hundreds of miles to the east.
"Landfall is still looking to be somewhere along the central LA coast late Sunday/Monday, though the 'worst' of the storm...heaviest rains, strongest winds...may be displaced much farther east, possibly the Alabama and Florida coast."
Currently land has made it very difficult for the system.
The Hurricane Center posted, "Cristobal is not very well organized at the moment as the center of the circulation remains inland over northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico."
As of 10:00pm it was still barely classified as a depression, but it was hard to find any definition.
"The center is becoming less distinct."
The Hurricane Center still believes the system will move toward the US Gulf Coast over the weekend.
"The models show the depression turning northward soon... This should take Cristobal back over the southern Gulf of Mexico waters by Friday night, and across the central and northern Gulf of Mexico over the weekend."
On this path, rain from the system could arrive along the coast late Saturday and continue through Monday. That moisture, however, may fall far from the center.
"Cristobal is expected to have a broad and asymmetric wind field as it approaches the northern Gulf coast. Given the expected environmental conditions, the strongest winds, highest storm surge, and heaviest rains could be well removed from the center of circulation. Therefore, it is important that users do not focus on the exact forecast path of the center of the cyclone."
