289  
WTPZ45 KNHC 191437  
TCDEP5  
TROPICAL STORM KIKO DISCUSSION NUMBER 19  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP152007  
800 AM PDT FRI OCT 19 2007  
 
SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS MORNING SHOWS THAT KIKO IS SLOWLY BECOMING  
BETTER ORGANIZED...WITH A CENTRAL CONVECTIVE FEATURE THAT MAY BE THE  
BEGINNING OF A CENTRAL DENSE OVERCAST ACCOMPANIED BY A BAND IN THE  
WESTERN SEMICIRCLE. SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES FROM TAFB AND  
SAB HAVE INCREASED TO 45 KT...AND RECENT AMSU INTENSITY ESTIMATES  
ARE 52 AND 45 KT. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS INCREASED TO 40 KT...  
AND THIS COULD BE CONSERVATIVE. ANALYSES FROM CIMSS AT THE  
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN NOW SHOW 10 KT OF EASTERLY VERTICAL SHEAR  
OVER KIKO.  
 
THE INITIAL MOTION IS 310/3. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER NORTHERN  
MEXICO DURING THE NEXT 24-48 HR SHOULD STEER KIKO SLOWLY  
NORTHWESTWARD. BEYOND THAT TIME...CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY REMAINS  
OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AND  
ITS EFFECTS ON KIKO. THE GFS...GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN...AND ECMWF ALL  
FORECAST THE TROUGH TO DEVELOP FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST TO ALLOW KIKO  
TO TURN WESTWARD BY 72-96 HR...WITH THE GFS SHOWING THE TURN  
EARLIER AND FARTHER SOUTH THAN THE ECMWF. THE UKMET...NOGAPS...AND  
CANADIAN MODELS ALL SHOW THE TROUGH CUTTING OFF AND MOVING FAR  
ENOUGH TO THE WEST TO TURN KIKO NORTHWARD. THE GFDL AND HWRF ARE  
BETWEEN THESE EXTREMES...BUT APPEAR TO BE TOO FAST WITH THE FORWARD  
MOTION. EVEN NOW...IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHICH OF THESE  
SCENARIOS WILL VERIFY. THEREFORE...THE NEW TRACK FORECAST CALLS  
FOR A SLOW NORTHWESTWARD MOTION THROUGH 96 HR...FOLLOWED BY A  
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TURN AT A SLOWER FORWARD SPEED THAN FORECAST IN  
THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY. OVERALL...THE TRACK IS A LITTLE TO THE  
NORTH OF THE PREVIOUS TRACK AND A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT OF THE MODEL  
CONSENSUS.  
 
KIKO SHOULD REMAIN IN AN AREA OF LIGHT SHEAR FOR THE NEXT 48-72  
HR...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW CONTINUED STRENGTHENING. THE SHIPS MODEL  
CALLS FOR A PEAK INTENSITY OF 68 KT...THE GFDL 88 KT...AND THE HWRF  
90 KT. THE INTENSITY FORECAST WILL COMPROMISE BETWEEN THESE WITH A  
FORECAST PEAK INTENSITY OF 75 KT. AFTER 72 HR...THE LARGE-SCALE  
MODELS FORECAST INCREASING SHEAR AS KIKO REACHES COOLER SEA SURFACE  
TEMPERATURES. THIS COMBINATION SHOULD CAUSE A WEAKENING TREND.  
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INITIAL 19/1500Z 17.1N 105.1W 40 KT  
12HR VT 20/0000Z 17.5N 105.6W 45 KT  
24HR VT 20/1200Z 17.9N 106.3W 55 KT  
36HR VT 21/0000Z 18.5N 107.0W 60 KT  
48HR VT 21/1200Z 19.2N 107.5W 70 KT  
72HR VT 22/1200Z 20.5N 108.5W 75 KT  
96HR VT 23/1200Z 21.5N 109.5W 70 KT  
120HR VT 24/1200Z 22.0N 112.0W 60 KT  
 
 
FORECASTER BEVEN  
 
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