Windspeed

Most recent outlook from the NHC... A large area of disturbed weather moving from the tropical Atlantic across the Lesser Antilles and into the eastern Caribbean Sea is associated with a pair of tropical waves. Upper-level winds are expected to become more conducive for development of this disturbance during the next couple of days, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the system moves westward across the central and western Caribbean Sea. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...medium...60 percent.

Screaming low-level jet influenced by the strong trough. I'd say the dry slot may pack a punch well after the precipitating core has move away.

Well that's a rare sight..

Couldn't resist posting this...

Crazy amount of couplets with this hurricane.

Even for a halfcane, Zeta has an impressive eyewall. New Orleans metro is about to get smacked.

Could be waiting on new dropsonde data. But it probably won't be enough.

Potential severe impacts far inland it seems...

It may be semantics, but someone is going to get hit hard by this hurricane. It's definitely NOT a weakening junk storm falling apart at landfall like I thought it would be.

Looks like they are going for a SE to NW pass. We should know definitively whether or not this has reached MH status prior to landfall.

Sheesh...

Wow...

969.9 EXTRAP on that last pass.

132 kts at the 942 mb level! I'd absolutely go with 115 mph now.

NHC could definitely go with a 115 mph advisory now.

Big burst of lightning on latest imagery.

Crazy impressive for freaking October 28th. Kate in November '85 was an impressive Category 2 into the Panhandle but it was also weakening significantly at landfall.

Looks like SE quadrant is the strongest quadrant now due to relative storm motion. So this is definitely not a Cat 3 yet. However there will be one more pass through the SE quadrant so we'll see if it has further strengthened over the past hour.

Fortunately it will be hauling ass so hopefully that will mitigate surge. Yes, there still will be surge, but again, forward motion is so fast it may not have enough time to build surge inland too far or compromise levees. This looks like it will be a bad wind event however as time is going to run out before it can weaken from maximum intensity...

Man it's going to really be something if this reaches Cat 3 this afternoon. Nobody saw this coming.