Oil path getting closer to Northwest Florida (LIVE FEED, PHOTOS and TRAJECTORY MAP)

As BP officials began new efforts to stem the flow of oil from their blown-out rig, the latest forecast for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shows it coming nearer to Northwest Florida shores.

The forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the oil slick heading almost directly toward the mouth of Mobile Bay on Wednesday. The forecast could bring a possibility of beached oil not far from Gulf Shores, Ala.

To see the latest photos from ground zero, click here.

TO SEE NOAA'S LATEST TRAJECTORY MAP, CLICK HERE.

The possible area of the spill extends to barrier islands of Mississippi and Alabama. The trajectory map has Florida's coastline still hovering just outside the line of uncertainty by Wednesday.

BP is prepping a cut-and-cap process to put a lid on the leaking wellhead so oil can be siphoned to the surface. The best-case scenario of sealing the leak is two relief wells being drilled diagonally into the gushing well — tricky business that won't be ready until August.

Escambia County spokeswoman Sonya Daniel said county officials would discuss the latest forecast at a previously scheduled staff meeting this morning.

She said the county has been preparing for the possibility that oil could arrive on area shores since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

"We've been working for the last 30 days," she said. "And we have not relaxed at all."

She said area plans, such as the placement of oil booms and procedures for clean-up, remain in operation.

"Certainly those preparations still exist," she said. "And if we need to do anything additional, we'll discuss that at (today's) meeting."

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley initially planned to protect Mobile Bay with a plan to use oil-blocking booms to create gates for ship traffic to use entering and leaving the bay.

But officials with the Alabama State Port Authority said the plan failed because of a shortage of boom and unusually strong currents.

Crews have been trained on the coast to protect sea life and wetlands, but they have had little to do for more than a month since the spill has been at a distance from Alabama's and Florida's shores.

Santa Rosa county spokesperson Joy Tsubooka said the latest forecast changes little for the county.

"We'll continue to monitor and take appropriate actions as needed," she said. "But our trigger point for action is 72 hours. So hopefully we won't see impact in the next few days."

FORECAST

In his latest posting, Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters offers the following forecast: "Light onshore winds out of the south to southwest are expected to blow over the northern Gulf of Mexico all week, resulting increased threats of oil to the Alabama and Mississippi barrier islands, according to the latest trajectory forecasts from NOAA," Masters writes. "These persistent southwesterly winds will likely bring oil very close to the Florida Panhandle by next weekend."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.