Kevin Myatt is The Roanoke Times' weather columnist.

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The 2009 Atlantic tropical season got going as quickly as A-B-C this weekend. But that doesn't mean any cataclysms are imminent.

Tropical storms Ana and Bill developed Saturday in the eastern Atlantic, while Tropical Storm Claudette formed quickly on Sunday just south of the Florida Panhandle. It just as quickly was on the verge of making landfall Sunday evening before it could grow into much.

Ana weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, and though its forecast path would take it into the Gulf of Mexico later this week, it faces an uphill struggle just to survive against shearing winds, dry air aloft and the likelihood of scraping the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba.

If it can survive all that and make it into the gulf, then coastal residents from Texas to Florida will need to take heed.

Bill has the best chance to become a hurricane, but by the time it gets far enough west to threaten North America, a new weather pattern over the continent could deflect it out to sea.

A southerly dipping jet stream over the U.S. is expected to bring a return of cooler weather for our region by next weekend or early next week, after a fairly hot week upcoming.

If that jet stream dip develops, Bill may get scooped northward over the open Atlantic.

Hurricanes are likely to struggle to develop and move westward as the tropical season peaks in the weeks ahead, but it only takes one monster getting through to cast a different light on the entire season.

Weather Journal appears on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.