Temperatures are cooler where Katrina went. But Rita is not following the same path. The only areas that Katrina and Rita really had in common is the Gulf loop which has already refreshed itself. The temperatures a couple of days ago:
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/gulfmex.c.gif
Duly noted. I still think high SSTs are overrated for contributions to major hurricanes in comparison to other favorable conditions such as the utter and total absence of sheer or dry air interfering. Rita is firmly in command of the Gulf. Even if we get "lucky" and it weakens to say Cat 3 before landfall the storm surge is still going to be prodigious if it spins around out there as a cat 5 for any length of time.
