yoda

Always good to start the weekend with a Pengwin over the Capitals

Tropical Storm Rafael Discussion Number 8 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL182024 1000 AM EST Tue Nov 05 2024 Satellite imagery shows that the convection has increased near the center of Rafael during the past several hours. However, reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft suggest that this has not yet translated into strengthening, possibly due to what looks like a tongue of dry air seen entraining into the center in microwave imagery. The aircraft reported maximum winds of 54 kt at 850 mb with a minimum central pressure near 994 mb. Based on the aircraft data, the initial intensity remains 50 kt. One note is the radius of maximum winds has decreased to about 20 n mi, suggesting that Rafael is trying to develop a better-defined inner core despite the apparent dry air. The initial motion is still northwestward at 320/11 kt. Rafael is currently on the southwestern side of a low- to mid-level ridge over the western Atlantic, and this feature should steer the cyclone generally northwestward for the next couple of days, with the center passing near the Cayman Islands and over western Cuba. After that time, there is a significant spread in the track guidance. While all of the guidance suggests that Rafael should shear apart over the central and northern Gulf, the GFS takes longer to show this happening than the ECMWF/UKMET. In addition, the GFS shows a weaker ridge north of the system, while the ECMWF/UKMET show a stronger ridge. The result is that the GFS shows a northward motion with landfall on the northern Gulf coast, while the ECMWF/UKMET show a westerly motion across the central Gulf of Mexico. Until there is a clearer signal on which of these scenarios is more likely, the forecast compromises between these extremes with a slow motion over the northern Gulf of Mexico. Conditions are favorable for steady to rapid strengthening during the next 24-36 h if Rafael can develop a stronger inner wind core. Based on the expectation that the core will form, the system is forecast to reach hurricane strength in about 12 h and continue to strengthen until it reaches Cuba. Once the center is north of 25N in the Gulf of Mexico, it is likely to encounter increasing vertical wind shear, dry air entrainment, and cooler sea surface temperatures, which should lead to Rafael weakening and eventually shearing apart vertically. The new intensity forecast remains on the high side of the intensity guidance and is similar to the previous forecast. Key Messages: 1. Rafael is forecast to be near hurricane intensity when it passes near or over the Cayman Islands by tonight where damaging hurricane-force winds, a dangerous storm surge, and destructive waves are expected. Rafael should reach western Cuba and the Isle of Youth on Wednesday. A hurricane warning is in effect for this region, where a life-threatening storm surge and destructive waves are also expected. 2. Tropical storm conditions are expected in Jamaica through this afternoon. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Lower and Middle Florida Keys beginning Wednesday and Wednesday night. 3. It is too soon to determine what, if any, impacts Rafael could bring to portions of the northern Gulf Coast. Residents in this area should regularly monitor updates to the forecast. 4. Rafael will bring areas of heavy rain across portions of the Western Caribbean through early Thursday, including the islands of Jamaica and the Cayman, along with southern and western portions of Cuba. Flash flooding and mudslides are possible along the higher terrain in Jamaica and Cuba. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 05/1500Z 17.8N 78.6W 50 KT 60 MPH 12H 06/0000Z 19.4N 79.9W 65 KT 75 MPH 24H 06/1200Z 21.3N 81.5W 75 KT 85 MPH 36H 07/0000Z 23.2N 83.1W 80 KT 90 MPH 48H 07/1200Z 24.4N 84.3W 80 KT 90 MPH 60H 08/0000Z 25.1N 85.7W 80 KT 90 MPH 72H 08/1200Z 25.6N 87.1W 75 KT 85 MPH 96H 09/1200Z 26.8N 89.3W 60 KT 70 MPH 120H 10/1200Z 28.0N 90.5W 45 KT 50 MPH $$ Forecaster Beven

Pittsburgh should be a decent bell weather for this Commanders team next week at home

STS Patty it is this morning

@Stebo This affect you? https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2024/10/28/faa-air-traffic-control-weather-safety-risk/75900358007/

I missed this... any link to it?

Looks like growing season ends tomorrow night for the rest of the region

Sad, but expected I guess

Channel 5 (FOX) winter outlook released last night

It's lala land of the GFS... but 00z run sure was fun to look at

Welp, guess we're going to be freezing next week Zone Forecast Product National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 212 PM EDT Sat Oct 19 2024 DCZ001-192200- District of Columbia- Including the city of Washington 212 PM EDT Sat Oct 19 2024 .THIS AFTERNOON...Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. .TONIGHT...Clear. Lows in the upper 40s. South winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable. .SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows in the upper 40s. West winds around 5 mph. .MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. .MONDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows in the lower 50s. .TUESDAY...Sunny. Highs around 80. .TUESDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows in the lower 50s. .WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. .WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. .THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Wind chill values as low as 120 below. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Wind chill values as low as 120 below. .FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.

Tropical Storm Oscar Discussion Number 1 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL162024 1100 AM EDT Sat Oct 19 2024 Things have been quickly evolving with a small area of low pressure located just to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Earlier this morning, there was a 0556 UTC AMSR2 passive microwave image that suggested the system's structure had become quite a bit better organized compared to prior images, with prominent curved bands on the 37 GHz low-level channel that suggest a well-defined circulation was developing. While the overnight C-band scatterometer imagery missed the small circulation just to the west, there was a KU-band scatterometer that suggested a closed circulation had formed. First light GOES-16 meso-sector imagery also suggests a tight circulation has formed, with bubbling hot towers within a small central dense overcast taking shape. All these data suggest a tropical cyclone has formed, and based on the earlier 12 UTC TAFB T2.5/35 kt Dvorak estimate, advisories are being started on Tropical Storm Oscar with a 35 kt initial intensity. Oscar is estimated to be moving due westward at 270/11 kt. This motion should continue for the remainder of the day as the system is initially steered by a narrow mid-level ridge positioned to the north. However, a digging east-to-west longwave trough is soon expected to erode the eastward side of this ridge, causing Oscar to slowdown and potentially stall near the northeastern coast of Cuba in 36-48 hours. Thereafter, that same trough is expected to continue amplifying or even retrograde westward, and if Oscar is vertically deep enough, this should induce steering that brings the tropical cyclone northeastward. The track forecast lies close to the simple TCVA consensus aid, which is quite close to the most recent ECMWF forecast. Its worth mentioning, there is quite a bit of southwest-to-northeast spread in the ensemble guidance, with weaker members slower and further west and stronger members being captured by the trough. Intensity-wise, Oscar only appears to have a 24 h window for strengthening as shear remains low enough. The first NHC intensity forecast shows the system peaking as a 45-kt storm as it nears the eastern coast of Cuba. Shear out of the northwest increases quite rapidly after that time, due to the aforementioned trough to its north, with the intensity likely leveling off around then. There could also be some land interaction with Cuba that could disrupt the circulation. However Oscar is a very small tropical cyclone, and could be prone to rapid changes in intensity, both up and down. After 72 h, the much larger trough is likely to absorb the small Oscar, with this occurring by the end of the forecast period by the middle of next week. Key Messages: 1. Oscar is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to portions of the southeastern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and eastern Cuba during the next day or so. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for those locations. 2. Locally heavy rainfall is possible across the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas later today and tonight. These rains are expected to spread to eastern Cuba on Sunday. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 19/1500Z 21.3N 70.2W 35 KT 40 MPH 12H 20/0000Z 21.4N 71.9W 40 KT 45 MPH 24H 20/1200Z 21.2N 73.8W 45 KT 50 MPH 36H 21/0000Z 20.9N 74.9W 45 KT 50 MPH 48H 21/1200Z 21.0N 75.8W 45 KT 50 MPH 60H 22/0000Z 21.6N 75.9W 45 KT 50 MPH 72H 22/1200Z 22.5N 75.0W 40 KT 45 MPH 96H 23/1200Z 25.1N 72.6W 35 KT 40 MPH 120H 24/1200Z...DISSIPATED $$ Forecaster Papin

BULLETIN Tropical Storm Oscar Advisory Number 1 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL162024 1100 AM EDT Sat Oct 19 2024 ...SMALL TROPICAL STORM OSCAR FORMS JUST EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS... ...TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND NORTHEASTERN PROVINCES OF CUBA... SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...21.3N 70.2W ABOUT 190 MI...305 KM ESE OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS ABOUT 495 MI...795 KM E OF CAMAGUEY CUBA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 270 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1007 MB...29.74 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas. The government of Cuba has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas and a Tropical Storm Watch for Camaguey. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Turks and Caicos Islands * Southeastern Bahamas * Cuban Provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Cuba Provence of Camaguey For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Oscar was located near latitude 21.3 North, longitude 70.2 West. Oscar is moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h) and this motion with a gradual slowdown and turn to the west-southwest is forecast over the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Some intensification is possible over the next day or so, followed by little change in strength. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

This is true... or we get a random week to 10 days like last winter and then that's it. I really hope we get some decent stuff this winter, but I'm prepared for a disappointment.