Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

99L a heavy rainfall threat for Jamaica, Haiti, and Eastern Cuba
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 2:35 PM GMT on October 21, 2012 +32
A tropical wave embedded in a large trough of low pressure (Invest 99L) covers a large portion of the Central Caribbean between Hispaniola and the northern coast of South America. This storm has the potential to be a dangerous rainfall threat for Haiti, Jamaica, and eastern Cuba. The disturbance is headed west at less than 5 mph, is over very warm waters of 29°C, and is in a moist environment. 99L has a large area of heavy thunderstorms that have a good degree of spin. These thunderstorms are beginning to organize into spiral bands, as seen on visible satellite loops. However, the amount of heavy thunderstorm activity is about the same as yesterday, and there are no signs of a surface circulation. An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate 99L this afternoon, but I expect this flight will be rescheduled for later.


Figure 1. Morning satellite image of Invest 99L.

Forecast for 99L
Wind shear is a low 5 - 10 knots, and is forecast to be in the low to moderate range, 5 - 20 knots, through Tuesday. This should allow for some steady development of 99L, and there has been a good deal of model support for 99L becoming a tropical depression by Wednesday. Steering currents favor a continued slow westward movement for 99L through Tuesday. On Wednesday, a strong trough of low pressure to the north of 99L is expected to turn the storm to the north or north-northeast, which should put 99L in the vicinity of Jamaica on Wednesday and Eastern Cuba on Thursday. By Friday, 99L should be in the Central or Eastern Bahamas. It is unclear at this point whether or not the trough pulling 99L to the north will be strong enough to pull the storm all the way out to sea to the northeast; a narrow ridge of high pressure has the potential to build in over 99L late this week and force the storm west-northwest, with a potential threat to the western Bahamas and U.S. East Coast by next weekend. In their 8 am EDT tropical weather outlook, NHC gave 99L a 70% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone by Tuesday morning. 99L will be capable of bringing heavy rains of 5 - 10 inches, with isolated amounts of up to 15 inches in mountainous areas, to Jamaica and Haiti, Monday through Wednesday. Heavy rains will begin on Tuesday in Eastern Cuba, and spread northwards into the Central and Eastern Bahamas by Wednesday.

Invest 90L in the middle Atlantic
A tropical wave (Invest 90L) about 830 miles east-northeast of the northernmost Lesser Antilles Islands is headed west-northwest at about 10 mph. The disturbance has a small amount of heavy thunderstorms, as seen on visible satellite images, and has gotten tangled up with an upper-level low pressure system. This upper-level low is providing 90L the spin it needs to become a tropical cyclone, but is also pumping cool, dry air into the disturbance, which will keep any development slow over the next few days. Wind shear is a moderate 10 - 20 knots, and is forecast to remain in the moderate range until Tuesday. This may allow for some slow development of 90L before it encounters high wind shear of 20 - 30 knots on Tuesday night through Thursday. None of the reliable computer models develop 90L into a tropical cyclone, and it's unlikely that 90L will affect any land areas. In their 8 am EDT tropical weather outlook, NHC gave 90L a 30% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone by Tuesday morning.

The next name on the list of Atlantic tropical storms for 2012 is Sandy.

Jeff Masters
Categories: Hurricane
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801. ncstorm 2:20 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
LOL!!!!

Has anyone seen this???

Member Since: August 19, 2006 Posts: 7 Comments: 8432
802. TropicalAnalystwx13 2:21 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting afj3:
Greetings! Question for the group: Which model is more reliable in this case with 99L, the GFS or the ECMWF? Or are they both good?

They are nearly equal in performance, although, the ECMWF holds the title for most reliable.
Member Since: July 6, 2010 Posts: 89 Comments: 25306
803. SouthDadeFish 2:22 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting afj3:
Greetings! Question for the group: Which model is more reliable in this case with 99L, the GFS or the ECMWF? Or are they both good?
They are two best models and should always be considered. The GFS has performed very well this year though.
Member Since: August 12, 2007 Posts: 11 Comments: 2418
804. washingtonian115 2:22 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting ncstorm:
LOL!!!!

Has anyone seen this???

Looks like 90L will make a 9 for us!.
Member Since: August 14, 2010 Posts: 5 Comments: 10653
805. Chucktown 2:22 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Oh the westcasters will be in full force today. This is not going to be a southeast US event. As the trough digs later this week, it will keep the system either moving north or even northeast for a while. It won't be until the trough itself goes negative this weekend and the trough axis becomes NW - SE oriented over the SE US. It is thereafter that if the system is still "within reach" and hasn't already moved too far NE, then there is a chance that it could be pulled back NW towards the Mid - Atlantic and NE US. Way too many variables and most likely if there is some sort of NE US impact, it will be transitioning from tropical to more of a nor'easter type storm.
Member Since: August 27, 2006 Posts: 0 Comments: 1386
806. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod) 2:23 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
T.C.F.A
99L/INV/D/XX
MARK
13.89N/77.59W
Member Since: July 15, 2006 Posts: 143 Comments: 40557
807. afj3 2:23 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    

Quoting TropicalAnalystwx13:

They are nearly equal in performance, although, the ECMWF holds the title for most reliable.
Thank you! Well I guess we can get used to some high surf here on Florida's East Coast if nothing else. Good for the surfers though hopefully erosion won't be too bad
Member Since: June 10, 2008 Posts: 0 Comments: 337
808. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod) 2:24 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Member Since: July 15, 2006 Posts: 143 Comments: 40557
809. washingtonian115 2:26 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting afj3:

Thank you! Well I guess we can get used to some high surf here on Florida's East Coast if nothing else. Good for the surfers though hopefully erosion won't be too bad
But those rip currents will be such a pain as well.I suspect we'll see lots and lots of rescues if such an event was going to happen.
Member Since: August 14, 2010 Posts: 5 Comments: 10653
810. TropicalAnalystwx13 2:26 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting ncstorm:
LOL!!!!

Has anyone seen this???


We are NOT going through this again. :|
Member Since: July 6, 2010 Posts: 89 Comments: 25306
811. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod) 2:29 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting Chucktown:
Oh the westcasters will be in full force today. This is not going to be a southeast US event. As the trough digs later this week, it will keep the system either moving north or even northeast for a while. It won't be until the trough itself goes negative this weekend and the trough axis becomes NW - SE oriented over the SE US. It is thereafter that if the system is still "within reach" and hasn't already moved too far NE, then there is a chance that it could be pulled back NW towards the Mid - Atlantic and NE US. Way too many variables and most likely if there is some sort of NE US impact, it will be transitioning from tropical to more of a nor'easter type storm.



sometimes things can just happen

its to do what ever it wants

we are to show possible outcomes
Member Since: July 15, 2006 Posts: 143 Comments: 40557
812. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod) 2:29 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
breaks over bb at lunch
Member Since: July 15, 2006 Posts: 143 Comments: 40557
813. TampaBayStormChaser 2:30 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
99L should be classified later this afternoon and should become Tropical Storm Sandy by tomorrow morning or perhaps sooner. Rapid Intensification cannot be ruled out based on high TCHP and decreasing shear. Based on this forecast, I expect 99L to be a Category 2 Hurricane prior to moving past Jamaica and Cuba.
90L should become TD 19 and Tropical Storm Tony by tomorrow afternoon and move NW-ward. 
Member Since: May 15, 2012 Posts: 0 Comments: 248
814. washingtonian115 2:30 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting TropicalAnalystwx13:

We are NOT going through this again. :|
Don't worry we'll have another storm to track at least so no "N" storm repeat again.She just wouldn't go away and made a strange track I tell ya she did...
Member Since: August 14, 2010 Posts: 5 Comments: 10653
815. SouthDadeFish 2:31 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
We now have TD 18 according to the ATCF database (advisories likely to be initiated at 11AM)

BEGIN
NHC_ATCF
invest_RENUMBER_al992012_al182012.ren
FSTDA
R
U
040
010
0000
201210221416
NONE
NOTIFY=ATRP
END
Member Since: August 12, 2007 Posts: 11 Comments: 2418
816. washingtonian115 2:32 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting SouthDadeFish:
BEGIN
NHC_ATCF
invest_RENUMBER_al992012_al182012.ren
FSTDA
R
U
040
010
0000
201210221416
NONE
NOTIFY=ATRP
END
Nooo looks like 99L will become Sandy..kinda root'in for it to at least be Tony..
Member Since: August 14, 2010 Posts: 5 Comments: 10653
817. GeoffreyWPB 2:32 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Member Since: September 10, 2007 Posts: 0 Comments: 9127
818. WunderAlertBot (Admin) 2:33 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
JeffMasters has created a new entry.
819. TropicalAnalystwx13 2:35 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting SouthDadeFish:
BEGIN
NHC_ATCF
invest_RENUMBER_al992012_al182012.ren
FSTDA
R
U
040
010
0000
201210221416
NONE
NOTIFY=ATRP
END

90L should get the same treatment.
Member Since: July 6, 2010 Posts: 89 Comments: 25306
820. Skyepony (Mod) 2:35 PM GMT on October 22, 2012    
Quoting afj3:
Greetings! Question for the group: Which model is more reliable in this case with 99L, the GFS or the ECMWF? Or are they both good?


Here's model error for 99L so far. It has all the models just about except the ECMWF. AEMN (gfs), FIM9 (except the last run initialized way off), MRFO & Models starting with the letter T seem to be getting this one so far. You can plot these out on Google map through a link off that page too. They all take it right to Jamaica..
Member Since: August 10, 2005 Posts: 144 Comments: 29340
821. Patrap 6:15 PM GMT on October 25, 2012    
Hurricane Sandy,

RGB Loop



Member Since: July 3, 2005 Posts: 371 Comments: 111483

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About JeffMasters
Jeff co-founded the Weather Underground in 1995 while working on his Ph.D. He flew with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990.

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