 A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on September 4 and tracked westward across the Atlantic Ocean with minimal organization for four days . After slowly developing convection between September 8 and September 14 , an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft reported a closed circulation . As a result , the system was classified as Tropical Depression Eleven just offshore Quintana Roo . Shortly thereafter , the depression made landfall in Quintana Roo . On September 15 , the system emerged into the Gulf of Mexico . Due to warm sea surface temperatures , the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon on the following day and further to hurricane intensity on September 17 while tracking northeastward . However , vertical wind shear and dry air entrainment weakened Gordon to a tropical storm later that day . At 0300 UTC on September 18 , Gordon made landfall near Cedar Key , Florida with winds of 65 mph ( 100 km / h ) . Gordon rapidly weakened inland and was only a tropical depression when it was absorbed by a frontal system over Georgia about 15 hours later . 
