753  
WTNT41 KNHC 070857  
TCDAT1  
TROPICAL STORM IDA DISCUSSION NUMBER 12  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL112009  
400 AM EST SAT NOV 07 2009  
 
THE SATELLITE PRESENTATION OF IDA HAS IMPROVED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL  
HOURS...WITH AN INCREASE IN DEEP CONVECTION NEAR THE ESTIMATED  
LOCATION OF THE LOW LEVEL CENTER. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS RAISED  
TO 40 KT BASED ON A BLEND OF DVORAK ESTIMATES OF 35 KT FROM SAB AND  
45 KT FROM TAFB.  
 
THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS 350/07...A LITTLE FASTER THAN BEFORE.  
IDA IS MOVING NORTHWARD BETWEEN A MID-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE OVER THE  
NORTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA AND A DEEP-LAYER TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN  
MEXICO. MOST OF THE TRACK GUIDANCE IS TIGHTLY CLUSTERED THROUGH 48  
HOURS...AND THE OFFICIAL FORECAST THROUGH THAT TIME IS CLOSE TO THE  
MODEL CONSENSUS BUT A LITTLE FASTER THAN THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE.  
BEYOND 48 HOURS...THE GLOBAL MODELS SHOW A MID- TO UPPER-LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. WHILE  
THE DETAILS ON THE TIMING AND DEGREE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN IDA  
AND THE TROUGH DIFFER...MOST OF THE MODELS...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF  
THE NOGAPS AND GFDN...SHOW IDA TURNING NORTHWARD AND THEN  
NORTHEASTWARD IN 3 OR 4 DAYS. IDA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME  
EXTRATROPICAL DURING THIS TIME AS IT BECOMES INVOLVED WITH A  
LOW-LEVEL FRONTAL ZONE ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. BY DAY 5  
MOST OF THE GUIDANCE SHOWS THE FRONT...AND WHAT IS LEFT OF IDA...  
TURNING SOUTHWARD OR SOUTHEASTWARD IN RESPONSE TO A LARGE SCALE MID-  
TO UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH AMPLIFYING OVER EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. AT  
DAYS 3 THROUGH 5 THE NEW OFFICIAL THE FORECAST IS ADJUSTED A LITTLE  
NORTHWARD TOWARD THE MODEL CONSENSUS.  
 
WHILE IDA WILL BE MOVING OVER VERY WARM WATERS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE  
OF DAYS THE ENVIRONMENT WILL NOT BE IDEAL FOR STRENGTHENING...AS  
THE SHIPS MODEL SHOWS ABOUT 20 KT OF VERTICAL SHEAR OVER THE  
CYCLONE. BEYOND THAT TIME...THE SHEAR IS FORECAST TO INCREASE  
FURTHER AS IDA BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH THE MID- TO UPPER-LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS ADJUSTED UPWARD A LITTLE GIVEN  
THE OBSERVED INTENSITY TRENDS...AND SHOWS A PEAK OF 50 KT IN 36  
HOURS. THIS IS IN BEST AGREEMENT WITH THE SHIPS MODEL AND CLOSE TO  
THE ICON INTENSITY CONSENSUS. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO  
BEGIN ON DAY 2 AS IDA ENCOUNTERS THE STRONGER SHEAR AND BEGINS TO  
UNDERGO EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION.  
 
MOST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS SHOW A LARGE PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPING  
BETWEEN A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES  
AND THE TROPICAL CYCLONE. THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A LARGE AREA OF  
STRONG WINDS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO NOT DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO  
IDA.  
 
THE ISSUANCE OF A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME FOR  
PORTIONS OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA AND WESTERN CUBA.  
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INITIAL 07/0900Z 17.1N 84.1W 40 KT  
12HR VT 07/1800Z 18.1N 84.4W 45 KT  
24HR VT 08/0600Z 19.5N 85.0W 45 KT  
36HR VT 08/1800Z 21.0N 86.0W 50 KT  
48HR VT 09/0600Z 23.0N 87.1W 45 KT  
72HR VT 10/0600Z 26.5N 88.0W 45 KT  
96HR VT 11/0600Z 28.0N 86.5W 40 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
120HR VT 12/0600Z 27.0N 85.0W 35 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
 
 
FORECASTER BRENNAN  
 
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