Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Tropical wave 92L weakens but could bring heavy rains to Haiti
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 2:23 PM GMT on June 20, 2010 +3
The tropical wave (92L) that brought heavy rains of 2 - 5 inches to Puerto Rico on Saturday is continuing westward at 10 - 15 mph, but has grown very disorganized. The National Hurricane Center is no longer interested enough in this wave to classify it as an "invest" worthy of generating computer forecasts for. Today through Monday, 92L will encounter 20 - 40 knots of wind shear as it plows though a region of strong upper-level winds associated with the subtropical jet stream. The disturbance will also encounter the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola and Cuba. If there is anything left of 92L after crossing these mountains, it may have the opportunity to develop beginning on Tuesday, when it will enter a region of wind shear less than 20 knots near central Cuba. None of our reliable computer forecast models is calling for 92L to develop once it reaches this region of lower wind shear. I give 92L a 10% chance of developing into a tropical depression by Saturday. The storm could bring heavy rains of up to four inches to Haiti today and Monday. Rain of four inches are probably the lower threshold for life-threatening floods to occur in the Haiti earthquake zone, and this disturbance poses the most serious flooding threat Haiti has seen since the earthquake.


Figure 1. Radar estimated rainfall over Puerto Rico from Invest 92L.

Elsewhere in the tropics
The NOGAPS and ECMWF models call for a possible tropical depression to form in the central or western Caribbean next weekend, 6 - 8 days from now.

Wind and ocean current forecast for the BP oil disaster
Southeast to east winds less than 10 knots will blow in the northern Gulf of Mexico Monday through Thursday, according to the latest marine forecast from NOAA. The resulting weak ocean currents should cause little motion of the oil slick, according to the latest trajectory forecasts from NOAA and the State of Louisiana. The long range outlook calls for a continued summertime weather pattern of weak winds over the Gulf of Mexico during the coming two weeks.


Figure 2. Visible satellite image from NASA's MODIS instrument of the Deepwater Horizon oil slick from Saturday, June 19, 2010.

Resources for the BP oil disaster
My post, What a hurricane would do the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
My post on the Southwest Florida "Forbidden Zone" where surface oil will rarely go
My post on what oil might do to a hurricane
NOAA's interactive mapping tool allows one to overlay wind and ocean current forecasts, oil locations, etc.
Gulf Oil Blog from the UGA Department of Marine Sciences
Oil Spill Academic Task Force
University of South Florida Ocean Circulation Group oil spill forecasts
ROFFS Deepwater Horizon page
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery from the University of Miami

Happy Father's Day, all you fathers out there, and I'll have an update on Monday.

Jeff Masters
Categories: Hurricane
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1901. highndry1 6:04 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
JLPR2 - I dunno if it's a block so much as a massive invitation to explosive intensification. Like I said, first you've got all the volatiles in the air which can serve as nucleation points for clouds/hail/lightning/etc. Second, when these storms pass over a region, they stir up the water and since the cap over that water by that oil would prevent it from evaporating and taking the heat with it, this would heat up the water underneath it so, unlike Katrina which fell apart as it approached the coast because it moved off the gulf loop, any hurricane going over the oil would stir up a huge blob of warm water at precisely the wrong time! It would make a massive storm like Katrina hit NOLA (just for comparison sake) hit not as a strong cat.3 but as a strong cat.5 because there'd be a not a drop in water temps, but an increase! Those levees aren't designed to hold a cat.5 back. Even with all the upgrades, we'll see NOLA flood part deux if a hurricane passes over that blob of oil - plus the added effect of all that black goo covering everything in sight for miles.
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1902. GeoffreyWPB 6:04 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
As far as model runs go…If I don’t see the seedling or genesis of a potential system…I discount them.
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1903. Hurricanes101 6:05 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting btwntx08:

ummm consistly showing 4 days in a row i dont think so also i dont ingore the runs that dont show nothing its just the run couldve been off


It developed 90L for that long and ended up being wrong

All of the models can be wrong, doesnt matter what one it is

I am impressed with the consistency of both the ECMWF and NOGAPS, but you have to look at all the models
Member Since: March 10, 2010 Posts: 1 Comments: 6902
1905. xcool 6:07 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
hmmm
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1906. homelesswanderer 6:08 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
We lost a yellow circle:


Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


000
ABNT20 KNHC 210536
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2010

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA IS PRODUCING A LARGE
AREA OF DISORGANIZED CLOUDINESS...SHOWERS...AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND THE ADJACENT LAND AREAS. THIS SYSTEM
COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS OVER PORTIONS
OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA...THE LESSER ANTILLES...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
AND PUERTO RICO DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH. SURFACE PRESSURES ARE NOT FALLING
SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE AREA AND THERE IS A LOW CHANCE...20
PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.


Up to 20% now.
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1907. Hurricanes101 6:08 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
So if the ECMWF drops development at 00Z it means it is just a bad run right?


That is all I am saying
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1909. xcool 6:09 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    




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1910. GeoffreyWPB 6:09 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
1904....Ummmm...Then why did you post it again?
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1911. weathersp 6:10 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Models are tricky when it comes to forming tropical systems... Once systems are established then it becomes easier. But tracking all these little pieces of energy is quite a task especially when there is no real observations, like in the MDR, that's why the G-4 is so crucial.
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1912. Grothar 6:10 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
As far as model runs go…If I don’t see the seedling or genesis of a potential system…I discount them.


What are you all doing up at this hour?
Member Since: July 17, 2009 Posts: 57 Comments: 19553
1914. GeoffreyWPB 6:12 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
homelesswanderer...btwntx08 is going to scold you for repeat posting :)
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1915. homelesswanderer 6:13 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting xcool:






Where'd that low come from? Didn't even see it.
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1918. homelesswanderer 6:14 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
homelesswanderer...btwntx08 is going to scold you for repeat posting :)


Lol. He'll have plenty of ammo. I'm always posting late. :)
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1919. GeoffreyWPB 6:15 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting Grothar:


What are you all doing up at this hour?


I am off today...had a crappy day yesterday...on Tim's WU blog talking about the oil spill...Just a popular guy this morning!
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1920. midgulfmom 6:15 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Just checking in again for a bit. Just heard a caller on a late night radio talk show say that the evaporated oil from the Gulf Gusher had rained down oil on an island. He didn't specify where, etc. and the host had to wrap up. Is this crazy or is this really possible? Does anyone know? (Coast to Coast radio program) Thanks.
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1921. xcool 6:16 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
africa wave train Toot toothomelesswanderer...
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1922. Grothar 6:16 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:


I am off today...had a crappy day yesterday...on Tim's WU blog talking about the oil spill...Just a popular guy this morning!


What did I miss. How did i ex-92L go back to 20%? Just woke up, so be brief.
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1924. xcool 6:17 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Grothar .92L DEAD.NEW 20% areas
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1925. GeoffreyWPB 6:18 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
20% is not ex-92L.
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1927. xcool 6:19 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Oh Snap, Oh Snap!, OH SNAP, I Can't Wait FOR .ecmwf
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1928. homelesswanderer 6:20 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting xcool:
africa wave train Toot toothomelesswanderer...


Wow. Lol. I need to stop looking at models and actually see what's going on.
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1929. xcool 6:20 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
homelesswanderer YES YOU DO SIR..BEEP
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1931. xcool 6:21 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
<<< LMAO
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1932. GeoffreyWPB 6:23 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Looks like business is picking up.
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1933. xcool 6:23 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
GeoffreyWPB .GUESS SO.
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1934. Grothar 6:24 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
20% is not ex-92L.


OK, OK you don't have to be cranky, I just woke up. How did I know there was another wave. LOL How all you guys doing tonight?
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1935. GeoffreyWPB 6:24 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
LOL Scott!
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1936. xcool 6:25 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Grothar come now stop sleep on tropical .not good for you healthy lmao
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1937. homelesswanderer 6:25 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting xcool:
homelesswanderer YES YOU DO SIR..BEEP


Ma'am. SmileyCentral.com

Lol.
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1938. homelesswanderer 6:28 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting Grothar:


OK, OK you don't have to be cranky, I just woke up. How did I know there was another wave. LOL How all you guys doing tonight?


Lol. I seem to have missed everything and I been here all day. :)
Member Since: August 15, 2008 Posts: 10 Comments: 3665
1940. oceanblues32 6:28 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting CybrTeddy:
NOGAPS and CMC both show not only a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean but a tropical cyclone hitting Florida. Starting to show that much needed consistency.
how strong is the cyclone it predicts to hit florida and what part of florida
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1941. Grothar 6:29 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting xcool:
Grothar :0


Just teasing Geoff, I never get mad at anybody except divorce lawyers. The Navy site doesn't have anything up yet. When do they update?
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1942. xcool 6:29 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Grothar come now stop sleep on tropical .not good for you health lmao
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1943. homelesswanderer 6:30 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:


That could mess up your keyboard.

Lol.
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1945. Grothar 6:31 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting homelesswanderer:


Lol. I seem to have missed everything and I been here all day. :)


Hey homeless, just like most of us here. A day late and a dollar short. I'm with ya!
Member Since: July 17, 2009 Posts: 57 Comments: 19553
1946. xcool 6:31 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Grothar .92L BYEBYE THAT WHY
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1947. GeoffreyWPB 6:32 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
For the Atlantic...there is nothing to put up on the Navy site.
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1948. xcool 6:32 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Grothar LMAO
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1949. Grothar 6:32 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting xcool:
Grothar come now stop sleep on tropical .not good for you health lmao


I - O
Member Since: July 17, 2009 Posts: 57 Comments: 19553
1950. weathersp 6:33 AM GMT on June 21, 2010    
Quoting midgulfmom:
Just checking in again for a bit. Just heard a caller on a late night radio talk show say that the evaporated oil from the Gulf Gusher had rained down oil on an island. He didn't specify where, etc. and the host had to wrap up. Is this crazy or is this really possible? Does anyone know? (Coast to Coast radio program) Thanks.


No, oil is way denser than water, oil by itself cannot be evaporated. Oil with lots of water, maybe 1 part oil to 200 parts water may evaporate, but this is unlikely unless you purposely tried because oil like to bond and stick to other oil making it rather difficult for water to mix in with it.
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About JeffMasters
Jeff co-founded the Weather Underground in 1995 while working on his Ph.D. He flew with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990.

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