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2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season General Discussion


Solak

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SUBTROPICAL STORM ALEX DISCUSSION NUMBER 1

NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012016

500 PM AST WED JAN 13 2016

Curved bands of cloudiness and showers/thunderstorms associated with

the low pressure system over the eastern subtropical Atlantic have

become better defined over the past 24 hours. Although the

convection is not very deep, it is likely of at least moderate

intensity given the relatively shallow tropospause over the area.

Given the increased organization, and the apparent dissipation of

nearby frontal features, advisories are being initiated at this

time. The cyclone is co-located with an upper-level low, and

appears to have only a weak warm core, so it is being designated

as a subtropical storm. The current intensity is set to 45 kt in

agreement with an earlier scatterometer overpass. A ship traversed

the northern portion of the circulation earlier today and did not

observe winds of tropical storm force and this is reflected in the

advisory wind radii.

The cyclone has been turning toward the left as it moves in the

flow on the east side of a shortwave trough, and the initial motion

is northeastward or 055/12 kt. The trough is expected to continue

to swing counterclockwise around a broader mid-latitude cyclonic

gyre, and this should result in Alex turning northward and

north-northwestward over the next several days. The official

forecast track follows the dynamical model consensus.

Although the shear is not forecast to become very strong over the

next several days, the cyclone will be moving over progressively

colder waters. Therefore no increase in strength is shown for the

next day or so. In the latter part of the forecast period, some

strengthening is possible due to baroclinic processes. By 96

hours, the global models show the cyclone merging or becoming

absorbed by another extratropical low at high latitudes.

Alex is expected to become an extratropical cyclone by the time it

passes near or over the Azores, so no tropical storm warnings are

being issued for those islands. However, gale force winds are

likely to affect portions of the Azores beginning late on Thursday

or early on Friday.

Alex is the first tropical or subtropical storm to form in January

since an unnamed system did so in 1978, and is only the fourth known

to form in this month in the historical record that begins in 1851.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 13/2100Z 27.1N 30.8W 45 KT 50 MPH

12H 14/0600Z 28.9N 29.7W 45 KT 50 MPH

24H 14/1800Z 32.0N 28.2W 45 KT 50 MPH

36H 15/0600Z 36.3N 27.5W 45 KT 50 MPH

48H 15/1800Z 42.3N 28.2W 50 KT 60 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP

72H 16/1800Z 56.0N 34.0W 50 KT 60 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP

96H 17/1800Z...ABSORBED

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1100 AM AST THU JAN 14 2016

...ALEX BECOMES A HURRICANE...

...HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED FOR THE AZORES...

SUMMARY OF 1100 AM AST...1500 UTC...INFORMATION

-----------------------------------------------

LOCATION...31.5N 28.4W

ABOUT 490 MI...790 KM S OF FAIAL ISLAND IN THE CENTRAL AZORES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 20 DEGREES AT 20 MPH...31 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB...28.97 INCHES

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1100 AM AST THU JAN 14 2016...ALEX BECOMES A HURRICANE......HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED FOR THE AZORES...SUMMARY OF 1100 AM AST...1500 UTC...INFORMATION-----------------------------------------------LOCATION...31.5N 28.4WABOUT 490 MI...790 KM S OF FAIAL ISLAND IN THE CENTRAL AZORESMAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/HPRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 20 DEGREES AT 20 MPH...31 KM/HMINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB...28.97 INCHES

 

Pretty damn amazing.

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Amazing even more moreso that the SST's are rather low to support a hurricane of this intensity, however the environment conditions aloft are quite cold and unstable for Alex. (Discussion #4 at 11 AST was very technical and enlightening on this incredible feat Alex has achieved.)

In awe really but considering what a torch December was, I kind of had this possibility in my back of my mind that something might do this.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Watch out for Ian in the Gulf of Mexico I have a feeling. Can toss the rest of the storms.

Thanks. Don't be selfish though. Tell us how many storms there will be, how many will be hurricanes/majors, when these storms will form, all the tracks of the storms, and the ACE as well for the season.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hurricane Helene 1958

Interesting storm and rarely discussed.

Kf5Y8Dl.jpg

To this day the inland Wilmington NC NWS has not exceeded the 135mph actual measured gust with Helene in 1958 which was higher at the airport than Hazel. Of course overall, Hazel was much worse with the cross coast trajectory, storm surge and estimated gusts of 150 between Myrtle Beach and Wrightsville Beach.

Hurricane Helene was the most intense tropical cyclone of the 1958 Atlantic hurricane season, as measured by minimum barometric pressure. The eighth tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the year, Helene was formed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21, 1958. Moving steadily westward, the storm slowly intensified, attaining hurricane strength on September 24. As conditions became increasingly favorable for tropical cyclone development, Helene began to rapidly intensify. Nearing the United States East Coast, the hurricane quickly attained Category 4 intensity on September 26, before it subsequently reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 934 mbar (hPa; 27.84 inHg). The intense hurricane came within 10 mi (15 km) of Cape Fear, North Carolina before recurving out to sea. Accelerating northward, Helene gradually weakened, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it passed over Newfoundland on September 29. Helene's extratropical remnants traversed eastwards across the Atlantic Ocean before dissipating near Great Britain on October 4.

Despite not making landfall on North Carolina, its close proximity to land caused extensive damage across the US East Coast. Strong winds resulted in widespread power outages, cutting telecommunications along the coast. A weather station in Wilmington, North Carolina reported a wind gust of 135 mph (215 km/h), setting a new record for fastest wind gust reported there. Though mostly concentrated in North Carolina, rainfall was widespread, reaching as far north as Maine. In the United States, damages reached $11.2 million and there was one indirect death. After impacting the US, Helene produced strong winds and heavy rain across much of Atlantic Canada. In Cape Breton Island on Nova Scotia, the storm was considered the worst in at least 21 years. Power outages cut most communications from the island to the mainland, and property damage in Sydney, Nova Scotia totaled to C$100,000. At Helene's landfall in Newfoundland, strong gusts peaking at 82 mph (132 km/h) in Naval Station Argentia were reported, and loss of power severed communications. Damage across there totaled to at least C$100,000. Total damages associated with Helene in the United States and Canada amounted to $11.4 million, making Helene the costliest storm of the season.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Latest GFS has it form in NE GOM then head west to the NE GOM where it then heads south and loops and comes ashore in the Big Bend of Florida as a 992 LP and has it sitting over Charlotte on the last frame as a 994 low. Wont happen like that but this pattern we are in does make the chances of homegrown systems more likely. 

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JAX calls the GFS 'suspect'.

During the weekend...the GFS and ECMWF show the low leveltrough moving toward FL with the GFS more pronounced with surfacelow development near the northern Bahamas Saturday night. Givenmodel uncertainties this far out (and suspect GFS model output) andprior forecasts will just continue with increasing easterly tonortheasterly winds and moisture for Saturday and Sunday. Will alsobe increasing shower/thunderstorm chances for the weekend...thoughkeeping them in the 20-40 percent range at this time.
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