The 2020 Atlantic Basin tropical season has gotten off to an active start with nine named storms including the latest...Tropical Storm Isaias. Tropical Storm Isaias has pounded away at Puerto Rico in the overnight hours and will come close to the island of Hispaniola later today into tonight. After that, the tropical system may very well have a significant impact on the Bahamas and Florida during the upcoming weekend. Its intensification prospects will likely be limited in the near-term as it interacts with the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola, but it could re-intensify as it pushes towards the Bahamas and Florida this weekend. By early next week, the tropical storm could begin to take a more northerly track as it interacts with an unusually strong upper-level trough that will be digging into the south-central US and slowing down. As a result, its moisture field could very well ride up along the eastern seaboard in the early part of next week - potentially resulting in a significant rain event all the way from Florida to the Northeast US.
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The 2020 Atlantic Basin tropical season has gotten off to an active start with eight named storms already and another wave that has reached the Caribbean Sea is quite likely to become the ninth (“Isaias”). This latest tropical wave pushed off the west coast of Africa late last week and had somewhat limited intensification possibilities over the past few days as it battled with dry air in the central Atlantic that originated over the Sahara Desert region of northern Africa. As such, the tropical wave appeared rather elongated and disorganized yesterday morning, but has since “escaped” the dry air mass and is now becoming better organized. There is a good chance that this system will reach tropical storm status in the next 24 hours and continue on a west-to-northwest track which will result in an impact on the northern Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba as well as the Bahamas.
After that, the tropical system may very well impact Florida by later Saturday, but its intensification prospects beforehand may be somewhat limited due to its possible interaction with these islands and a possible increase in southwesterly wind shear. By early next week, the tropical system could begin to take a more northerly track as it interacts with an unusually strong upper-level trough that will be “digging” into the south-central US and slowing down in its eastward progression. As a result, its moisture field could very well ride northward along the east coast in the early part of next week - potentially resulting in a significant rain event all the way from Florida to the Northeast US.
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The 2020 Atlantic Basin tropical season continues to be quite active and we are closely monitoring a wave that should soon become the ninth tropical storm of the year (to be named “Isaias”). This system continues to move on a WNW track that should take it to the Puerto Rico and Hispaniola islands in the near-term and then perhaps to Florida by the latter part of the weekend. Ultimately, this tropical system could have an impact on the much of the eastern US as it interacts with an impressively strong upper-level trough that is going to dig into the south-central states over the upcoming weekend.
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The 2020 Atlantic Basin tropical season has gotten off to an active start with eight named storms already and another (still unnamed) wave closing in on the Lesser Antilles. This latest tropical wave pushed off the west coast of Africa late last week and is likely to intensify over the next couple of days as it continues on a general west-to-northwest track. There is a high probability that this system intensifies enough to become classified as a tropical storm and, if so, it would be named “Isaias” – the ninth named storm of the still relatively young 2020 tropical season and the earliest date for the “I” storm. There is a good chance that this system continues on a track that’ll bring it to near Puerto Rico later this week and then to the southern Bahama Islands at weeks end. After that, there is a growing chance that the likely-to-be-named “Isaias” will threaten Florida and the Southeast US by the latter part of the upcoming weekend.
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High pressure ridging will continue to result in an offshore flow around here and afternoon temperatures close to the 90 degree mark for highs. Deep moisture remains entrenched in the area and this can result in scattered-to-numerous showers and thunderstorms over the next couple of days; primarily, focused on the PM hours. Elsewhere, we are keeping a close eye on the tropics as a system over the central Atlantic could have an impact on the Southeast US by the early part of next week.
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The 2020 Atlantic Basin tropical season has gotten off to an active start with eight named storms already and another (still unnamed) wave over the central Atlantic. This latest tropical wave pushed off the west coast of Africa late last week and is likely to intensify over the next few days as it takes a general W-NW track. There is a good chance that this system moves first towards the northern Caribbean island chain and then to near the Bahamas over the next several days. Whether or not this tropical system ultimately impacts the Southeast US may be largely dependent on an unusually strong upper-level trough that is likely to dig into the south-central states by the weekend.
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High pressure ridging will continue to result in an offshore flow around here and afternoon temperatures close to the 90 degree mark for highs. Deep moisture remains entrenched in the area as we begin the new week and this can result in scattered-to-numerous showers and thunderstorms over the next couple of days; primarily, focused on the PM hours. In the tropics, a tropical wave over the central Atlantic has to be closely monitored this week as it could become a threat to the southeastern US late in the upcoming weekend or early next week.
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The Atlantic Basin now features three tropical systems to closely monitor in this very active early part of the 2020 tropical season. Tropical Storm Hanna is churning westward across the Gulf of Mexico and is on a path to make landfall on Saturday in southeastern Texas - quite likely as a hurricane. Tropical Storm Gonzalo has been relatively steady recently in terms of its intensity, but there are signs that it should weaken over the next couple of days as it moves towards the Caribbean Sea. A third and quite large tropical wave has just emerged from the west coast of Africa and it has great potential for intensification over the next several days. This third system is likely to head to a position quite close to where Tropical Storm Gonzalo currently resides, and it very well could have an impact on the US in 10-15 days.
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The Atlantic Basin tropical scene remains quite active with Tropical Storm Hannah over the western Gulf of Mexico closing in on the Texas coastline. As it continues pushing to the west-northwest, it’ll actually pull some of the deep moisture that has been across Florida in recent days along with it. This system is likely to make landfall on Saturday along the southeast coast of Texas and it should produce plenty of rainfall given its rather slow movement. Elsewhere in the tropics, Tropical Storm Gonzalo is churning to the west this morning over the central Atlantic. This system should end up pushing over the Caribbean Sea this weekend and likely encounter some less favorable conditions for intensification in that region.
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A potpourri of topics today ranging from another day with a strong thunderstorm threat in the Mid-Atlantic region to an active Atlantic Basin tropical scene to an update on Comet NEOWISE which is making its closest approach to Earth later tonight. First, on the weather threat in the Mid-Atlantic region, yet another wave of energy aloft will combine with considerable amounts of moisture in the low and middle levels of the atmosphere to bring another shot at strong storms later today and tonight. Second, on the tropics, an impressive tropical wave over the central Gulf of Mexico is likely headed to the east coast of Texas by the early part of the weekend and it will result in heavy rainfall in that part of the southern US. A second tropical system, Tropical Storm Gonzalo, has run into a bit of dry air which has halted its intensification in recent hours as it continues to push towards the Caribbean Sea. A third tropical wave has just emerged off the west coast of Africa and it may become an important player to monitor next week. Finally, Comet NEOWISE makes its closest approach to the Earth later tonight and it won’t be back around these parts for about 6800 years.
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