csnavywx

St. Pete gusting to 100 on that last ob.

It's here: KSRQ 100136Z 32060G89KT 1 3/4SM +RA BR OVC008 23/22 A2860 RMK AO2 PK WND 33089/0134 RAE0059B06 P0012 T02280217 $ 102mph gust there. The 105KT FL winds recon found offshore a bit earlier in the southern quad were definite trouble, as was that telltale hook/stinger.

Yes, generally speaking, a shear vector aligned with the steering current is less detrimental, esp. in a case where you've got baroclinic forcing helping. It works up to a point. Michael had a good 20-25kt of shear for instance (if I'm recalling correctly). It won't stop 35+ knots of shear from being detrimental of course, but can effectively increase the threshold of viability.

It's going to be an interesting night of competing forces: increasingly favorable forcing from the entrance region of the subtropical jet vs. gradually increasing shear values.

My base case as well. It's got a window for another peak out there just past the Yucatan before shear starts to become an issue.

That method isn't really made for eyes that are 5 miles wide. GoM basin record in serious jeopardy. Been saying it since this morning elsewhere. Patricia, ERC or bust.

Outage maps are insane. Power outages all the way to the Ohio River valley. 200k outages in *Kentucky*

Lots of missing stations. Only the big ones leave a hole like this, in my experience.

Getting a lot of baroclinic help as it roars inland. Central pressure has been slow to rise relative to normal.

Still intense lightning activity in the western eyewall. Going to be a close shave for TLH.

Wavenumber 4 shape going on with the eyewall. Was probably there to an extent before but radar beam height getting low enough to pick up on it now.

Back down to closer to 250 strikes/3m. One of the most insane spikes of hurricane lightning eyewall activity I've seen though.

650. Peak? Last 10m have been insane. 2200 total.

Still spiking, 500+ strikes in last 3m.