Windspeed

Yeah, I wasn't aware of a Main Forum thread to cover all the firings and potential dismantling of NOAA, etc., when I posted the news. I had just seen Andy got fired, was shocked, and understanding how we share his critical information so frequently (almost daily during the season), thought it of utmost importance to post here. Numerous critical personnel we rely on in these tropical threads have been terminated, some of which were not probationary due to being new hires, having had promotions or clearance level changes. I don't know how else we could avoid sharing these firings specifically in this particular thread since we post their work verbatim so often. This "situation" will clearly have impacts our pre-seasonal and active seasonal discussion as their analysis may not even be available. Though I did make my brief opinion known in the initial post, I will not delete it, and these additional comments are merely stating obvious impacts for our future discussions from an empirical standpoint. I will say no further.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/noaa-employees-laid-off-in-doge-cuts/3555471/ Pathetic.

It's straight ripping fatties in Bristol. Column must be cooling off fast. Ground is already white. Surfaces are sticking. I agree with the above about the ground temps still being below freezing from the past week of bitter cold temps. Air temperature is currently 34°F here.

I am also surprised by the decrease of winds upon Carriacou landfall. Images from the ground there appeared to verify operational intensity.

Big mid-to-upper level airflow make lower level air lift go boom!

Filling in nicely in the northern and upper NE Valley as well. Flow is backing and becoming more northwesterly. I think KTRI may do quite well over the next 4-6 hours.

https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=TNZ040&warncounty=TNC029&firewxzone=TNZ040&local_place1=3%20Miles%20SE%20Lowland%20TN&product1=Winter+Storm+Warning&lat=36.1242&lon=-83.1732

There is a modeled snow hole over upper NE Holston Valley for a reason, which is likely due to some downslopping with the 850 flow *IF* the SLP cuts across the Southern Apps. Notable with the adjacent to high ridges of Unaka in Greene and Washington Counties, and Sullivan with Holston Mountain. I'm thinking it may very well stump totals versus the western NE TN counties, but I don't forsee graupel or sleet taking over due to warm nose. It should remain cold enough for snow, just weaker overall totals. That being said, if the SLP remains further south, upper NE Tennessee and KTRI may exceed 3-5". But if we land in the middle ground and end up with 4 inches, I am proclaiming this a big win, all things considered. Someone is likely to still get hammered, and I feel like portions of SW VA, such as Gate City to Abingdon, are being under modeled. It would not surprise me to see those places end up with 6-8 inches of powder. Also, I know we post the Icon but take it far less seriously than the GFS, ECMWF and Euro suites, but it is interesting it keeps wanting to pump higher totals over the upper NE Holston watershed this late in the game.

ETN needs the cold surface and 850 hPa airmass to hold in place and cooperate. We're in the 120 hr range now. We may still get a warm nose, but I am hopeful the upper Holston Valley will remain cold enough. If rates are weak with low QPF, we probably lose. If rates can pump up the column, we win. Therefore, the 10-11 system may come down to the wire before we know the cutoff of the graupel vs heavy snow line. Going to require a little patience until it plays out. Curbing my expectations and perhaps the Eastern Valley gets a surprise.

Chido's first landfall from the Island of Mayotte a few days ago. It appears to have been an intense landfall there as well. Community of Kaweni: Unsure of the exact location in the island here:

Yeah, someone got hit hard. A rapidly intensifying landfall per ADT analysis. Hopefully, it avoided a major population center. That looks to be the case as the small core came ashore a good distance south of the port city of Pemba.

Chido's organization has improved in the hours leading up to landfall. Looks like at least a Category 3 strike.

Tricky forecast. A mere few hundred miles on stall position is the difference between a major hurricane or a weak TS. I was bullish. But look at the upper pattern and environment. It's very explosive. We just got lucky on proximity of the COC tracking into the Honduras coastline. It could still become a hurricane after all if it manages to not push fully inland on this stall.

Looks like the low-level circulation is going to push down into Honduras. That's a huge break for the Yucatán as far as a more intense hurricane developing. Still, a prolific heavy rain and flood problem for Honduras and Nicaragua.

I'm bullish on this TC. This could be an intense hit on Yucatán or Western Cuba if it doesn't stay in the Straits. As for Florida, though SSTs are a tick AN, they're still down around ~26°C west of the Peninsula. I imagine a strong TC will begin to lose some punch tracking NE across the Eastern GOM. Obviously, a further south track keeps the TC over 27-28°C SSTs, especially around the Keys. But that likely includes land interaction with Cuba, so hopefully still a weaker solution. As far as atmospheric setup when this future TC would hook into the westerlies, though there would be increasing shear values north of the Straits, the mid-level steering flow may align with upper SW flow, so the TC would likely still be in a favorable environment and ventilated / divergent pattern, even if SSTs are decreasing as the system moves NE. Still a long way to go to iron out specifics as far as a Florida hit or miss, but it's becoming increasingly probable that a hurricane forms and makes landfall early next week somewhere in the NW Caribbean and/or Eastern GOM. Given the environment, the initial landfall will most likely be an intense one. Not to prey on the Yucatán, but obviously Florida would benefit if a landfall occurs there first.

The operationals were pretty eye-opening last night. Even the ECMWF bombed a 930 mb major. I guess we'll just have to see how fast this system consolidates over the next 48 hours. There is a 24 hour variance between TCG between the two major operationals. The lesser deterministic GEFS still prefers land interaction slowing down any rapid intensification. Obviously, we don't even have an invest labeled yet, but it just goes to show how favorable the environment will become for the potential TC if it does form and stays over water.

The signal continues to ramp up on ensemble suites. Likewise, the 00z GFS rolling in has a hurricane inside three days. This is all likely due to the notable lower surface pressures south of Hispaniola, broad mid-level vorticity along the wave axis, and a robust convective envelope. If the hypothetical TC manages to avoid prolonged land interaction with NE Nicaragua and/or Honduras, this system could become quite strong given the favorable upper environment that should be in place. Any system hanging around the deep WCARIB should be well-ventilated.

Immediate surface is running a tick above 28°C. Enough to support a major hurricane.

I am really impressed by the visual appearance of Rafael. Did not anticipate this. Also, VHTs going up and wrapping the eye. Rafael may put in a show tonight prior to any increasing shear evolving tomorrow.

Intense typhoon Yinxing is about to make landfall in northeastern most Luzon, Phillipines.

There was a 100 kt gust reported west of Havana. I reckon that was a legit OBS. It is very possible that Rafael was a much stronger hurricane at landfall after the last recon data. There was an EWRC in progress that completed or merged prior to landfall. Either way, still surprised at the current intensity.

Holy guacamole, I didn't expect that NE eyewall to be so intense post-exit Cuba. Good grief. SFMR is too contaminated, but clearly, based on flight-level, Rafael is still a major hurricane.

Bifurcation is the word of the day...

Rafael is already taking on a somewhat lopsided structure on radar. I'm not sure that it isn't already experiencing some mid-level shear or if this is just a temporary appearance left over from land interaction with Cuba. However, it is interesting that the ECMWF wants to turn and drive Rafael due west and then WSW into the SW GOM. A bit of uncertainty on how this plays out. But I am confident if the GFS camp wins out, Rafael will still get sheared off.