214  
WTNT41 KNHC 060241  
TCDAT1  
TROPICAL DEPRESSION IDA DISCUSSION NUMBER 7  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL112009  
1000 PM EST THU NOV 05 2009  
 
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND CONVENTIONAL SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATE  
THAT IDA HAS WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. WHAT REMAINS OF THE  
DIMINISHING DEEP CONVECTION IS CURRENTLY CONFINED TO NORTHWEST AND  
NORTHEAST QUADRANTS. SOME FURTHER WEAKENING IS LIKELY DURING THE  
NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS AS IDA CONTINUES ON A GENERAL NORTHWARD TRACK  
OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA AND EASTERN HONDURAS. AROUND THE 36  
HOUR PERIOD...THE CYCLONE SHOULD EMERGE OVER THE NORTHWEST  
CARIBBEAN SEA AND...ASSUMING THE CIRCULATION IS NOT TOO SEVERELY  
DISRUPTED BY ITS PASSAGE OVER LAND...THE SYSTEM SHOULD RESTRENGTHEN  
INTO A TROPICAL STORM. HOWEVER...THE GLOBAL MODELS INDICATE ONLY A  
MARGINALLY FAVORABLE UPPER-LEVEL WIND ENVIRONMENT OVER THE  
REGION...WHICH SHOULD CURTAIL SIGNIFICANT INTENSIFICATION AS IDA  
HEADS IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. AFTER IDA  
ENTERS THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO....THE INTENSITY FORECAST IS  
HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. THE LARGE-SCALE MODELS ALL AGREE ON AN  
INCREASINGLY STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPING OVER THE  
GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE GFDL AND  
HWRF MODELS...PARTICULARLY THE FORMER...SHOW SIGNIFICANT  
INTENSIFICATION OF IDA IN THE LATTER PART OF THE PERIOD. IT SHOULD  
BE RECALLED HOWEVER THAT THESE MODELS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE A  
HIGH BIAS IN STRONGLY SHEARED ENVIRONMENTS...AS WAS THE CASE WITH  
TROPICAL STORMS DANNY...ERIKA...AND HENRI OF THIS YEAR.  
CONSEQUENTLY...THE OFFICIAL WIND SPEED FORECAST LEANS MORE TOWARD  
THE WEAKER LGEM AND SHIPS PREDICTIONS.  
 
THE INITIAL MOTION IS ESTIMATED TO BE 330/4...WITHIN THE SOUTHERLY  
STEERING FLOW ON THE WEST SIDE OF A WEAK MID-LEVEL RIDGE. WITH THE  
EXCEPTION OF FORWARD SPEED DISPARITIES...THE GLOBAL AND REGIONAL  
MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A GENERAL NORTH TO NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD  
MOTION INTO THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO OVER THE NEXT 4 DAYS.  
AROUND THE END OF THE PERIOD...MOST OF THE TRACK GUIDANCE SHOWS A  
TURN TO THE RIGHT AS IDA BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH THE WESTERLIES.  
THE OFFICIAL FORECAST HAS CHANGED LITTLE FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE AND  
IS CLOSE TO THE MODEL CONSENSUS.  
 
THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF THIS SLOW-MOVING SYSTEM DURING THE NEXT DAY OR  
SO WILL LIKELY BE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES  
CAUSED BY EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF NICARAGUA AND  
HONDURAS.  
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INITIAL 06/0300Z 13.8N 84.1W 30 KT  
12HR VT 06/1200Z 14.4N 84.1W 25 KT...INLAND  
24HR VT 07/0000Z 15.4N 84.2W 25 KT...INLAND  
36HR VT 07/1200Z 16.6N 84.5W 35 KT...OVER WATER  
48HR VT 08/0000Z 17.7N 85.0W 40 KT  
72HR VT 09/0000Z 20.3N 86.2W 45 KT  
96HR VT 10/0000Z 23.0N 87.5W 45 KT  
120HR VT 11/0000Z 26.0N 87.0W 45 KT  
 

 
FORECASTER PASCH/ROBERTS  
 
 
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