Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Quiet Atlantic; police blow up weather station
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 2:34 PM GMT on July 23, 2007 +3
There's not much to talk about in the Atlantic today. A tropical wave we were watching (97L), east of Bermuda, has moved north over colder waters and is no longer a threat to develop. A large area of Saharan dust and dry air is present between Africa and the Lesser Antilles Islands, which will discourage any development in this region over the next few days. Later in the week, the UKMET and ECMWF models are hinting that conditions may moisten enough for something to develop off the coast of Africa. However, tropical storm formation in this region is unusual in July, and I'd be surprised if something did develop.

The long range GFS model shows that the steering pattern for the next two weeks will be much different than what we saw in 2006 and so far in 2007. We will no longer have a dominant trough of low pressure over the Eastern U.S. that will act recurve storms out to sea. Instead, an alternating series of weak ridges and weak troughs rippling along the jet stream is expected. No particular region of the Atlantic will be at higher risk of being hit with such a pattern.

Police robot blows up weather station
If you've never seen one before, familiarize yourself with what a weather stations looks like. State Police in Virginia had apparently never seen one before, and sent a police robot in to blow up a "suspicious object" hanging from a tree near a hospital in Virginia. The object turned out to be a home weather station. A tree is not a very good place to put a weather station--how can you measure accurate precipitation and winds there? Perhaps that's what the police were wondering, too, and this made them suspicious enough to terminate the threatening weather station.

In case you missed it, here's my analysis of the QuikSCAT science presented at Thursday's Congressional hearing.

Jeff Masters
  Permalink | A A A
Reader Comments
Display: 0, 50, 100, 200 Sort: Newest First - Order Posted
Viewing: 101 - 151

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14Blog Index

101. Drakoen 3:51 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
SJ there is an ignore button?
Member Since: October 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Comments: 29010
102. ryang 3:51 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
you have to look at the structure of a system and not how much convection it has

If it still had a surface low, it would have a greater chance.

Member Since: August 25, 2006 Posts: 329 Comments: 12333
103. ryang 3:52 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Afternoon SJ...
Member Since: August 25, 2006 Posts: 329 Comments: 12333
106. weathermanwannabe 3:53 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Thanks Drak; sounds plausible to me...Just caugh my eye because we were supposedly on the "lookout" for possible development (which never occured) off the Carolina coast from the Trof remnants, and, now, there appears to be more remnants present in the Northern Gulf.....Nonetheless, it is an interesting feature; what impressed me was the convection early in the morning before the normal daytime heating.....
Member Since: August 8, 2006 Posts: 0 Comments: 6680
110. weatherblog 3:58 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
This year is VERY simiar to 2006, in the sense of ther being a lot of dry air, SAL and shear in the atlantic. Last year we were all over every blob, and nearly 90% didn't develop.3

The ONLY difference, between these 2 years is that this year is La Nina/Neutral year (though isn't really taking a big affect) and the steering currents bring the storms to the USA.

So, I think overall this year, compared to 2006, will have a bit lower shear in the heart of the season because of La Nina, and the storms that do form may go into the general path of the GOM/USA.


Therefore, we may have aroundd 13-14 storms, that may head towards the USA..and those stroms may be very intense becasue of high SST's in Caribbean/GOM. But, my point is, that this year is more similiar to last year than most of you think. It's just, this year, we have a but lower shear (but not much lower) and bad steering currents. That's all.
Member Since: July 10, 2006 Posts: 27 Comments: 1623
111. MrNiceville 3:58 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Ike/WWB;

My only concern is what that means for us, here in the panhandle. I'm assuming we're in for some rain this afternoon, but not certain if we should expect "gustier" storms if it moves this way...
113. Drakoen 4:00 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
I don't see an ignore button...
Member Since: October 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Comments: 29010
114. Tropicnerd13 4:00 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
i got no clue. i think so, but not sure. it is kinda stupid to confess to that. better call dateline nbc on him.
115. Tropicnerd13 4:01 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
could any of you answer the iq test questions?
117. StormJunkie 4:01 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Drak, I think there is a way to ignore folks, although I have never used it. I was talking about the + - and ! buttons. If you see folks posts that you don't approve of hit the -, if you see something not appropriate for the blog hit the ! and if you see something you really like, or if you see folks who's posts are hidden and you expand it and like what they said, or said something beneficial and on topic then hit the +
Member Since: August 17, 2005 Posts: 26 Comments: 15218
118. Tropicnerd13 4:01 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
it seems to be a slow blog today...
119. MrNiceville 4:03 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
SW;

RE the steering currents forecast.

Are you concerned about the W GOM and then the entire coast, later in the forecast period? If I'm reading those charts correctly (probably not), then it appears that anyhting that got into the GOM would be curved by those winds, correct or not?
121. Drakoen 4:03 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
thanks SJ.
Member Since: October 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Comments: 29010
122. Prgal 4:03 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Tropicnerd13: If I were you I wouldnt trust any online IQ test. They are definetly not reliable in any way.
Member Since: September 7, 2006 Posts: 0 Comments: 918
123. Tropicnerd13 4:05 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
well it seems like maveric got his blackberry taken up by the teacher! how old is he? twelve? he thinks he's mature? i know a twelve year old that acts like a 30 year old genius.
124. Tropicnerd13 4:07 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
prgal, i know exactly what you mean. i got my old results and they graded me 5 years off my age, and it was 139. i was 5 years younger than what it graded me, so tecnically it would be higher. and on king of the hill on fox they showed an iq test scam. it is obvious that alot of websites are famous for scams like that.
125. weathermanwannabe 4:08 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
BBL out to lunch....
Member Since: August 8, 2006 Posts: 0 Comments: 6680
126. ustropics 4:09 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Greetings,
New synopsis up on my blog...Invite you to view and cooment if you wish.


Always great reading your blog storm. I think I know why the NHC dubbed the area as Invest 97L though. If you recall they just had some new software installed last month and i think they wanted to give it a go around before things get interesting and iron out some of the flaws.
128. Prgal 4:10 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Then why are you looking for a site? Go to a psychologist. They will do a complete battery of tests and you will know for sure :-)
Member Since: September 7, 2006 Posts: 0 Comments: 918
129. Buhdog 4:10 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
I don't like the way stalled out troughs are going to be hanging around the Gulf for the next week...too much time out there will = low pressure. All we need is time out there.....
Member Since: July 30, 2005 Posts: 1 Comments: 950
130. Inyo 4:11 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
there is actually some light rain around coastal southern California right now.. rather unusual
Member Since: September 3, 2002 Posts: 42 Comments: 765
132. Tropicnerd13 4:13 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
im gonna go check mav's blog. anyone wanna come with?
134. IKE 4:14 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Posted By: MrNiceville at 10:58 AM CDT on July 23, 2007.
Ike/WWB;

My only concern is what that means for us, here in the panhandle. I'm assuming we're in for some rain this afternoon, but not certain if we should expect "gustier" storms if it moves this way...


Means rain...more likely tomorrow.

There's a weak 1012mb double-barrel low in the northeast GOM....
Member Since: June 9, 2005 Posts: 23 Comments: 37044
136. PatienceBAvirtue 4:15 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
I'm posting to try and find some information. Meteorology is a fascination of mine, though I know very little about it. This blog has been helpful in terms of interpreting various types of information, but I need a more basic education. Does anyone know of any quality sites for that?

Tropicnerd, the online tests aren't worth trusting, and more for fun than anything else. You will only be offered a very small sampling in every area of intelligence, so unless your intellect is very evenly distributed a la Da Vinci, your score won't be accurate. Virtually everyone has comparative strengths and weaknesses which aren't taken into account online. See a shrink for a full test, it's fun.
137. IKE 4:16 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Thank God schools starts back soon.
Member Since: June 9, 2005 Posts: 23 Comments: 37044
140. CJ5 4:19 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Posted By: Tropicnerd13 at 4:01 PM GMT on July 23, 2007.
could any of you answer the iq test questions?


The internet is vast. Try a search.
Member Since: July 4, 2007 Posts: 0 Comments: 1709
142. Tropicnerd13 4:20 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
patienceb, thanks. go to wikipedia or google meteorology or tropical weather with wikipedia next to it.
143. GainesvilleGator 4:20 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Per Dr. Masters:

"The long range GFS model shows that the steering pattern for the next two weeks will be much different than what we saw in 2006 and so far in 2007. We will no longer have a dominant trough of low pressure over the Eastern U.S. that will act recurve storms out to sea. Instead, an alternating series of weak ridges and weak troughs rippling along the jet stream is expected. No particular region of the Atlantic will be at higher risk of being hit with such a pattern."

OK, so what year does the 2007 setup most resemble? I feel a little better though because his last two week outlook was hinting at conditions more closely resembling 2004 & 2005. The Bermuda/Azores high should be cemented by his next two week outlook. I will be looking forward to seeing how that compares with 2004-2006.


Member Since: September 11, 2005 Posts: 4 Comments: 732
144. tampabayfish 4:21 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Any concern about the low pressures and associated convection camping out over the bath water of the eastern GOM? Not much mention of it anywhere.
145. Tropicnerd13 4:22 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
yeah, canecaster. i have the same feeling. i cant find any of his posts, either, so i couldnt find his blog.
146. IKE 4:23 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
Here's a radar of the NE GOM, Florida panhandle, and SW Alabama....

Link

Almost all of the rain is staying off shore.
Member Since: June 9, 2005 Posts: 23 Comments: 37044
149. EdMahmoud 4:25 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
I'm not a meteorologist, nor do I play one on TV.

Just looking at UK Met agency, shear, SAL, pattern forecast, and the last few runs of the GFS, Canadian (which has ants in its computerized pants) and ECMWF, I suspect odds very good we get throough July w/ no named cyclone.

Probably 6 to 8 all year, on top of two barely TCs already had, for a total of 8 to 10. But, at least one follows an Erin/Andrew/Katrina path, with a first hit on Florida, then a second hit between S.E. Louisiana and Panama City Beach, and with abnormally high available heat energy in the Eastern Gulf, said storm will do significant damage, especially on second strike if it can get more than a day offshore Florida before second landfall.
150. Tropicnerd13 4:26 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
apparently someone either a lurker or one of us reported him. i just minused some of his comments. ok im done now back to the tropics.
151. Tropicnerd13 4:28 PM GMT on July 23, 2007    
around here we have a whole month until then. anyone able to post a water vapor or infrared link or pic of the atlantic or africa or gulf or all of the above?

Viewing: 101 - 151

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14Blog Index

New Comment
Community Standards Policy Comments will take a few seconds to appear.
Post Your Comments
Please sign in to post comments.
Not only will you be able to leave comments on this blog, but you'll also have the ability to upload and share your photos in our Wunder Photos section.
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.

Local Weather
Scattered Clouds
86 °F
Scattered Clouds
Community Activity