The Atlantic Basin is quite active with three tropical systems of note as we head towards the end of September. There is a newly named Tropical Storm Humberto situated to the northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands, a likely-to-be named Imelda which is now located near the Dominican Republic, and a weakening Hurricane Gabrielle in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is the likely-to-be named Imelda that may be of most concern at this point as it could threaten the Bahamas this weekend and potentially has a chance of impacting the Southeast US.
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The Atlantic Basin is quite active as we head towards the end of September with three tropical systems currently on the playing field including a “major” Hurricane Gabrielle which is now racing off to the east-northeast and is no threat to the US. In fact, Hurricane Gabrielle could impact the Azores Islands and Portugal down the road in a weakened state after crossing over the cooler waters of the North Atlantic.
Meanwhile, the other two tropical systems pose more of a challenge in terms of forecasting their eventual paths and magnitudes. It appears quite likely that both systems will reach named tropical storm classification and potentially, both may climb to hurricane status. It also appears quite likely that these two systems will end up doing some sort of a dance around each other for awhile (“Fujiwhara effect”) and at least one may come uncomfortably close to the US east coast and we may not know the end of the story until we get ten or so days out from now.
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The Atlantic Basin tropical season officially extends from June 1st to November 30th, and the climatological peak is right around the 10th of September. This year is quite unusual in that the climatological peak comes with no tropical activity whatsoever in the Atlantic Basin and the overall season is now below normal for this time of year. In fact, global activity across the entire northern hemisphere is below-normal and that breaks down to each of the oceans being quieter-than-normal (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian). One of the possible explanations for the relatively quiet tropical season across the globe is the dramatic cool down in sea surface temperatures from a year ago. Looking ahead, there is another half of the season to go for the Atlantic Basin - at least in terms of climatology - and signs point to a pickup in activity potentially beginning as soon as this weekend.
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The month of August was not only quite a bit cooler-than-normal in the Mid-Atlantic region (coolest in 25 years in DC, 3rd coolest in 25 years for NYC), but it was also very dry as well in many areas. In fact, the DC-to-Philly-to-NYC corridor saw virtually no rainfall during the last ten days of August and the month of September has started off rain-free as well. There is plenty of hope, however, that in the near-term there will be two chances for some welcome rainfall associated with two separate cold frontal systems. The first chance of showers and thunderstorms will come late Thursday and Thursday night with the initial cold front and then a second round of showers and thunderstorms is likely for late Saturday/Saturday night associated with cold front #2.
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The month of August has been quite kind in many parts of the nation with numerous cooler-than-normal air masses dropping into the US from Canada. A strong cold front pushed off the east coast earlier this week and set the stage for widespread cooler-than-normal conditions here at midweek that extend virtually from coast to coast. This air mass had its origins in the Arctic region and has resulted in more than one hundred tied or broken daily low temperature records on Wednesday and in Atlanta, Georgia, the low temperature today was 55 degrees which tied their monthly low temperature record. I expect to see another large number of stations on Thursday morning with record or near record low temperatures in the eastern US.
Looking ahead, the pattern will repeat later next week with another much cooler-than-normal air mass dropping into the US from Canada bringing a refreshing cool start to the month of September across the eastern half of the nation. This pattern has also been quite dry in parts of the nation including the Mid-Atlantic region and the next several days don’t offer much hope with respect to the chances of some soaking rainfall.
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Erin has weakened during the past 24 hours and has now lost its “major” hurricane status and is classified as a category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The long-anticipated curve of Erin has begun with a movement currently to the northwest at 9 mph to be followed by a northerly push on Wednesday and then an acceleration to the northeast on Thursday. While Erin has weakened in recent hours, it has also expanded in size and its outer perimeter winds are likely to reach tropical-storm force levels across the Outer Banks on Wednesday and potentially even to hurricane-force levels. Rip currents and rough surf will extend all the way up the eastern seaboard for the next couple of days and beach erosion/coastal flooding is on the table in many areas. The biggest impact along the Mid-Atlantic coastline will come later Wednesday night and Thursday with strong winds impacting coastal sections from Long Island-to-New Jersey-to-the Delmarva Peninsula.
Looking ahead, there are two other tropical systems now in the eastern Atlantic, and they’ll have to be monitored during the next several days...any impact from these two systems would be from next week into the following week which would take us into the early part of September. Also, a cooler-than-normal weather pattern looks like it’ll set up for much of the eastern half of the nation for the last week or so of the month of August once Hurricane Erin exits off to the open waters of the North Atlantic.
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Erin has strengthened today and is now a category 4 “major” hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and is moving to the west-northwest at around 10 mph. Hurricane Erin will begin a turn to the northwest later today followed by a general turn to the north from Tuesday into Wednesday and then it’ll begin an acceleration on Thursday and take a sharp turn to the northeast.
Even though the center of Hurricane Erin will remain offshore as it curves away from the east coast, its strength, expansion in size, and the prolonged nature of an onshore flow of air will likely result in significant impact to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where beach and coastal damage may be extreme. Elsewhere along the east coast, rip currents and high surf are likely along many coastal sections and there is likely to be beach erosion and coastal flooding with a prolonged period of onshore flow.
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Tropical Storm Erin appears better organized today and has indeed undergone a bit of strengthening with maximum sustained winds now clocked at 60 mph as it churns to the west at around 17 mph. Over the next few days, Tropical Storm Erin will push over increasingly warm waters of the southwest Atlantic Ocean and atmospheric conditions will become more favorable for intensification (less dry air, less wind shear). As a result, significant and rapid intensification is on the table for Erin which could take it from its current tropical storm status to hurricane (category 1) classification on Friday and then to “major” hurricane status (category 3 or higher) later Saturday. It is at this time that the overall flow aloft should allow for Erin to begin a curve away from the east coast …first to the northwest then to the north and ultimately to the northeast and out over the open waters of the North Atlantic. Two key players in this expected curve of Erin will be an upper-level ridge over eastern Canada that will tend to get displaced by an upper-level trough of low pressure...all of these systems still need to be closely monitored as small changes can potentially have big impacts on some coastal sections.
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The intensity of Tropical Storm Erin has been relatively unchanged during the past 24 hours maintaining maximum sustained winds of around 45 mph as it churns to the west across the tropical Atlantic. There is not likely to be much intensification over the next 24 hours or so as it continues to deal with a dry air mass and moves over only modestly warm waters. Later this week, TS Erin will push over increasingly warm water in the western Atlantic Ocean and this will very likely result in intensification to category 1 hurricane status...the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic Basin tropical season.
Over the weekend, overall environmental conditions will become more favorable for intensification as it moves over very warm water and this can result in Erin attaining “major” hurricane status of category 3 (or higher). It is at this time that the overall flow aloft should allow for Erin to begin a curve to the north over the western Atlantic Ocean and then ultimately to the northeast…likely resulting in it not reaching the US east coast. However, there are several days to go and this system needs to be closely monitored as nothing is written in stone this far out.
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Tropical Storm Erin continues to churn to the west today with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and it is very likely to become the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic Basin season by the end of the week. In fact, Erin could become a “major” hurricane (category 3 and higher) over the upcoming weekend as it pushes over increasingly warm waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. After that, Hurricane Erin will probably begin a curve in its path to the north/northeast over the western Atlantic Ocean and likely resulting in it never reaching the US east coast. However, there are still several days to go before this expected curve and it is something we’ll continue to closely monitor in coming days.
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