Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,587
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    LopezElliana
    Newest Member
    LopezElliana
    Joined

EPAC Tropical Action 2012


Recommended Posts

We will probably see the eyewall contract significantly today if this occurs. I have been pretty bearish on the intensity forecast of Carlotta, but I agree that it seems to be getting better organized in a hurry.

Yep, decent chance of a major in the next 24hrs.

Also, altough it might be a wobble or a mirage, but it looks a bit to the right of the forecasted track. I give her >50% chances of peaking at least at cat 2 (90-95kts would be my best guess)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 602
  • Created
  • Last Reply

We will probably see the eyewall contract significantly today if this occurs. I have been pretty bearish on the intensity forecast of Carlotta, but I agree that it seems to be getting better organized in a hurry.

It looks like it's already happening based on the latest SSMIS:

20120615.1206.f17.91h.03E.CARLOTTA.65kts.988mb.13.6N.95.6W.96pc.jpg

I don't really like the 85/91 GHz because it can't see the lower level structure. The 37 GHz shows that the area to the S/SE of the center is filled in (cyan = warm clouds/warm rain), but the 91 GHz can't see it because it is below the freezing level.

20120615.1206.f17.37pct37h37v.03E.CARLOTTA.65kts.988mb.13.6N.95.6W.96pc.jpg

So it isn't surprising that the visible satellite is starting to confirm what was already apparent from the microwave images a few hours ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beven may salvage my call after all... :)

THE INITIAL MOTION IS 320/10. THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE TO THE EAST OF

THE CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO KEEP CARLOTTA MOVING NORTHWESTWARD

FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS. AFTERWARDS...A RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BUILD TO THE

NORTH OF CARLOTTA ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MEXICO...WHICH SHOULD

PRODUCE A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND WEST AT A

SLOWER FORWARD SPEED. AFTER 72 HR...THE STEERING CURRENTS WEAKEN

AS A MID/UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND

THE ADJACENT GULF OF MEXICO. THE TRACK GUIDANCE HAS SHIFTED

SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTH SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY...AND THE NEW

FORECAST TRACK IS NUDGED NORTHWARD BASED ON THE INITIAL POSITION

AND MOTION. THE NEW FORECAST CALLS FOR THE CENTER TO MOVE NEAR THE

MEXICAN COAST FROM 24-72 HR...AND THEN MAKE A SMALL ANTICYCLONIC

LOOP SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST.

CARLOTTA APPEARS TO BE UNDERGOING RAPID INTENSIFICATION...AND THIS

IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE UNTIL THE CENTER MOVES NEAR OR OVER THE

MEXICAN COAST IN 18 HR OR SO. THE EARLY PART OF THE INTENSITY

FORECAST HAS BEEN REVISED UPWARD...AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT CARLOTTA

COULD GET STRONGER THAN 85 KT BEFORE THE CENTER NEARS THE COAST.

AFTER 18 HR...INTERACTION WITH THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO

SHOULD CAUSE WEAKENING...AND BY 120 HR THE FORECAST INTENSITY IS

SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT

CARLOTTA COULD DISSIPATE COMPLETELY DURING THIS FORECAST PERIOD IF

THE CENTER MOVES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is becoming an interesting specimen...it looks more likely that it will make landfall now...and probably as a significant hurricane. My call a few days ago is looking pretty good, although I must admit I wasn't very confident back then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with much of the above discussion that Carlotta improved significantly overnight and does have a chance at becoming a major. Deep convection has really wrapped all the way around the center of circulation in the last frame of visible imagery.

post-378-0-08820700-1339778152_thumb.jpg

I think one thing going against that tho is that the system is already so close to such mountainous topography. It looks to me on the water vapor that there is still a bit of dry air wrapping into the center of circulation, even tho the environment is quite moist and the dry air to the northwest does not appear to be advecting very much into the circulation. There's a chance that some dry adiabatic downsloping off the topography to the north could already be having a negative impact on the circulation strength, especially now that Carlotta is west of the flatter topography that Phil was talking about while it's movement becomes increasingly parallel to the coast (e.g. some of the weakening of Pauline 1997 and John 2006 as they paralleled the coast could be attributed to this). Sometimes a TC can overcome this if the environment is sufficiently favorable, so we'll see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow-- it just looks awesome! Very nice.

A slight wobble to the right and Puerto Angel could get raked by the right eyewall. The setup and track is very reminiscient of Pauline 1997, which I mentioned above. The right eyewall raked the town as the center passed just offshore at Cat-4 intensity; the cyclone came ashore further up the coast as a 95-kt Cat 2 and it skimmed along the coast, eventually passing over Acapulco as an unraveling Cat 1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Product: Air Force Vortex Message (URPN12 KNHC)

Transmitted: 15th day of the month at 17:44Z

Aircraft: Air Force Aircraft (Last 3 digits of the tail number are 305)

Storm Number & Year: 03E in 2012

Storm Name: Carlotta (flight in the Northeast Pacific basin)

Mission Number: 1

Observation Number: 09

A. Time of Center Fix: 15th day of the month at 17:25:20Z

B. Center Fix Coordinates: 14°18'N 96°07'W (14.3N 96.1167W) (View map)

B. Center Fix Location: 144 miles (232 km) to the SSW (205°) from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, México.

C. Minimum Height at Standard Level: 2,912m (9,554ft) at 700mb

D. Estimated (by SFMR or visually) Maximum Surface Wind: 73kts (~ 84.0mph)

E. Location of the Estimated Maximum Surface Wind: 16 nautical miles (18 statute miles) to the NE (46°) of center fix

F. Maximum Flight Level Wind Inbound: From 129° at 92kts (From the SE at ~ 105.9mph)

G. Location of Maximum Flight Level Wind Inbound: 19 nautical miles (22 statute miles) to the NE (46°) of center fix

H. Minimum Sea Level Pressure: 979mb (28.91 inHg)

I. Maximum Flight Level Temp & Pressure Altitude Outside Eye: 8°C (46°F) at a pressure alt. of 3,049m (10,003ft)

J. Maximum Flight Level Temp & Pressure Altitude Inside Eye: 15°C (59°F) at a pressure alt. of 3,048m (10,000ft)

K. Dewpoint Temp (collected at same location as temp inside eye): 7°C (45°F)

K. Sea Surface Temp (collected at same location as temp inside eye): Not Available

L. Eye Character: Not Available

M. Eye Shape & Diameter: Circular with a diameter of 30 nautical miles (35 statute miles)

N. Fix Determined By: Penetration, Radar, Wind, Pressure and Temperature

N. Fix Levels (sfc and flt lvl centers are within 5nm of each other): Surface and 700mb

O. Navigation Fix Accuracy: 0.02 nautical miles

O. Meteorological Accuracy: 2 nautical miles

Remarks Section:

Maximum Flight Level Wind: 92kts (~ 105.9mph) in the northeast quadrant at 17:20:00Z

Maximum Flight Level Temp: 15°C (59°F) which was observed 7 nautical miles to the NE (47°) from the flight level center

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Product: Air Force Vortex Message (URPN12 KNHC)

Transmitted: 15th day of the month at 19:20Z

Aircraft: Air Force Aircraft (Last 3 digits of the tail number are 305)

Storm Number & Year: 03E in 2012

Storm Name: Carlotta (flight in the Northeast Pacific basin)

Mission Number: 1

Observation Number: 15

A. Time of Center Fix: 15th day of the month at 18:56:40Z

B. Center Fix Coordinates: 14°29'N 96°15'W (14.4833N 96.25W) (View map)

B. Center Fix Location: 137 miles (221 km) to the SSW (211°) from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, México.

C. Minimum Height at Standard Level: 2,911m (9,551ft) at 700mb

D. Estimated (by SFMR or visually) Maximum Surface Wind: 87kts (~ 100.1mph)

E. Location of the Estimated Maximum Surface Wind: 19 nautical miles (22 statute miles) to the SE (136°) of center fix

F. Maximum Flight Level Wind Inbound: From 227° at 84kts (From the SW at ~ 96.7mph)

G. Location of Maximum Flight Level Wind Inbound: 20 nautical miles (23 statute miles) to the SE (135°) of center fix

H. Minimum Sea Level Pressure: 976mb (28.82 inHg)

I. Maximum Flight Level Temp & Pressure Altitude Outside Eye: 7°C (45°F) at a pressure alt. of 3,056m (10,026ft)

J. Maximum Flight Level Temp & Pressure Altitude Inside Eye: 16°C (61°F) at a pressure alt. of 3,050m (10,007ft)

K. Dewpoint Temp (collected at same location as temp inside eye): 6°C (43°F)

K. Sea Surface Temp (collected at same location as temp inside eye): Not Available

L. Eye Character: Closed Wall

M. Eye Shape & Diameter: Circular with a diameter of 30 nautical miles (35 statute miles)

N. Fix Determined By: Penetration, Radar, Wind, Pressure and Temperature

N. Fix Levels (sfc and flt lvl centers are within 5nm of each other): Surface and 700mb

O. Navigation Fix Accuracy: 0.02 nautical miles

O. Meteorological Accuracy: 2 nautical miles

Remarks Section:

Maximum Flight Level Wind: 92kts (~ 105.9mph) in the northeast quadrant at 17:20:00Z

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...