late morning of October 12, the overall extent of cloud cover had increased but the center became less defined. Later that day, Patricia attained its peak intensity as a moderately strong tropical storm with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 996 mbar (hPa; 29.41 inHg). The storm maintained this intensity for several hours as its central dense overcast remained intact despite increasing wind shear. However, the NHC stated that there was a 20% chance of the storm becoming a hurricane within 24 hours based on climatological factors and the average forecast intensity errors. However, this did not take place. The combination of moderate wind shear and a stable environment caused Patricia to rapidly weaken on October 13. The storm's cirrus outflow became weak in all directions and convection diminished. Later that day, convective developed ceased to occur as the storm neared the south tip of Baja California Sur. Early on October 14, Patricia degenerated into a remnant low pressure area, bypassing tropical depression status, roughly 30 mi (50 km) south of the Baja California Peninsula. The remnant low turned westward and tracked over open waters before dissipating on October 15. Preparations and impact Several hours after Patricia was classified as a tropical storm on October 12, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for areas along Baja California Sur between La Paz and Santa Fe. The following day, the watch was upgraded to a tropical storm warning for areas between Buenavista and Agua Blanca. However, the storm's rapid decay on October 14 allowed the watches and warnings to be discontinued. Officials in the threatened region began preparing by closing schools and opening 159 shelters on October 12. The Civil Protection Department was prepared to evacuate residents in low-lying area if necessary. Resorts and hotels cancelled all outdoor activities and brought all loose objects indoors. The city of Los Cabos was placed under a state of emergency as flooding rains were forecast to impact the area. Ports in the region were also shut down due to rough seas. The storm's quick deterioration led to significantly less impact than anticipated. High waves affected the coastlines of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Nayarit. Parts of Sinaloa also recorded heavy rainfall from Patricia, peaking at in Higuera de Zaragoza. Subsequent flooding was reported in 12 municipalities in the state, resulting in the evacuation of 3,000 people.