938  
WTNT41 KNHC 302058  
TCDAT1  
TROPICAL STORM NOEL DISCUSSION NUMBER 13  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL162007  
500 PM EDT TUE OCT 30 2007  
 
THE CENTER OF NOEL IS STILL CLEARLY DISCERNIBLE IN VISIBLE SATELLITE  
IMAGERY...HAVING SPENT THE DAY MOVING ESSENTIALLY DUE WESTWARD...  
ALTHOUGH AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER FORWARD SPEED OF ABOUT 7 KNOTS.  
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS ARE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE POSITION  
DERIVED FROM THE IMAGERY...ALTHOUGH SOME OF THOSE OBSERVATIONS  
SUGGEST THE CENTER COULD BE A BIT SOUTH OF OUR ADVISORY POSITION.  
THE INITIAL INTENSITY ESTIMATE IS SET TO 35 KT...BASED IN PART ON A  
SURFACE WIND OBSERVATION OF 35 KT FROM A DROPSONDE...WELL TO THE  
NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER...LAUNCHED BY THE NOAA GULFSTREAM-IV JET  
THAT HAS BEGUN ITS SYNOPTIC SURVEILLANCE MISSION.  
 
DESPITE THE CONTINUED WESTWARD MOTION TODAY...NOEL IS STILL EXPECTED  
TO GRADUALLY TURN TOWARD THE NORTH DURING THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS...AS  
THE LOW- TO MID-LEVEL RIDGE TO ITS NORTH SLIDES EASTWARD IN ADVANCE  
OF AN APPROACHING SHORT-WAVE AND FRONTAL SYSTEM. WHILE THE VARIOUS  
DYNAMICAL MODELS CONTINUE TO DISAGREE ON HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR  
NOEL TO GAIN ANY LATITUDE...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST STAYS CLOSE TO  
THE MODEL CONSENSUS...WHICH IS ALONG THE SAME PATH BUT JUST A  
LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY. FROM 48 HOURS ON...THE  
NEW TRACK IS ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED IN TAKING NOEL QUICKLY  
NORTHEASTWARD WHILE UNDERGOING EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION.  
 
LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH APPEARS LIKELY UNTIL THE SYSTEM EMERGES  
BACK OVER WATER NORTH OF CUBA. AFTER THAT...THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY  
FORECAST CLOSELY FOLLOWS THE SHIPS GUIDANCE THROUGH 48 HOURS IN  
CALLING FOR GRADUAL STRENGTHENING WHILE NOEL IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN  
A TROPICAL CYCLONE. EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION IS EXPECTED BY 72  
HOURS...FOLLOWED BY CONTINUED STRENGTHENING AS SUGGESTED BY THE  
GLOBAL MODELS. SOME OF THE MODELS PREDICT THAT NOEL ITSELF WILL  
NOT LAST BEYOND ABOUT 3 DAYS...AND INSTEAD CALL FOR NOEL TO BE  
ABSORBED WITHIN THE FRONTAL ZONE OF AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE  
FARTHER NORTH. FOR NOW...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST WILL ASSUME THAT  
NOEL WILL REMAIN INTACT AND PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR THE EXTRATROPICAL  
CYCLONE.  
 
THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS CURRENTLY AFFECTING PORTIONS OF FLORIDA ARE  
ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE NORTH AND ARE  
NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CIRCULATION OF NOEL. SEE STATEMENTS  
FROM NWS LOCAL FORECAST OFFICES.  
 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INITIAL 30/2100Z 21.0N 78.0W 35 KT...INLAND OVER CUBA  
12HR VT 31/0600Z 21.6N 78.8W 35 KT...NEAR S COAST OF CUBA  
24HR VT 31/1800Z 22.6N 79.2W 35 KT...NEAR N COAST OF CUBA  
36HR VT 01/0600Z 24.1N 78.8W 40 KT...OVER WATER  
48HR VT 01/1800Z 26.8N 77.2W 45 KT  
72HR VT 02/1800Z 34.0N 70.0W 50 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
96HR VT 03/1800Z 41.0N 63.0W 60 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
120HR VT 04/1800Z 48.5N 56.5W 60 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
 
 
FORECASTER KNABB/LANDSEA  
 
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