Alex not aiming at Gulf oil spill area _ for now

A storm that has pounded parts of Mexico and Central America will likely miss the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Alex, which was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression, is expected to regain strength in the coming days as it moves over warmer waters in the Gulf and possibly become a hurricane headed toward Mexico's Caribbean coast, well away from the area where BP PLC is trying to stop a massive oil leak, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

However, officials were watching it closely.

"We all know the weather is unpredictable and we could have a sudden, last-minute change," Coast Guard Adm. Thad …