408  
WTNT41 KNHC 080900  
TCDAT1  
HURRICANE IDA DISCUSSION NUMBER 17  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL112009  
300 AM CST SUN NOV 08 2009  
 
DATA FROM THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT SUGGEST THAT THE  
INTENSIFICATION OF IDA HAS HALTED...AT LEAST TEMPORARILY. THE  
LATEST PRESSURE MEASURED ON A PASS THROUGH THE CENTER WAS 984  
MB...AND THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS HELD AT 80 KT FOR THIS ADVISORY.  
THE INTENSITY FORECAST SHOWS SOME STRENGTHENING IN THE SHORT  
TERM...AS IDA WILL REMAIN OVER VERY WARM WATERS THROUGH THE NEXT 24  
HOURS. BEYOND THAT TIME...IDA WILL BEGIN TO MOVE OVER MUCH COOLER  
WATERS...BELOW 26C AFTER 48 HOURS...AND VERTICAL SHEAR WILL  
INCREASE MARKEDLY AS STRONG UPPER-LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF  
A MID- TO UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IMPINGES ON IDA. GLOBAL MODEL GUIDANCE  
SHOWS IDA UNDERGOING EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION IN THE 48 TO 72 HOUR  
TIME FRAME AS IT INTERACTS WITH THE TROUGH AND A SURFACE FRONT  
ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST SHOWS GRADUAL  
WEAKENING FROM 24 TO 48 HOURS...AND MORE RAPID WEAKENING AS IDA  
BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL.  
 
THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS NORTHWEST...OR 325/10. THIS IS TO THE  
LEFT OF THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE...AS THE FLOW AROUND A MID- TO  
UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA MAY BE  
TUGGING IDA A LITTLE MORE TOWARD THE WEST. THE TRACK GUIDANCE IS IN  
GOOD AGREEMENT ON A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND THE NORTH  
OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IDA ACCELERATES AHEAD OF THE TROUGH THAT  
MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GULF. GIVEN THE MORE WESTERLY COMPONENT OF  
THE INITIAL MOTION...THE TRACK GUIDANCE HAS SHIFTED WESTWARD  
COMPARED TO THE LAST PACKAGE...AND SO HAS THE OFFICIAL FORECAST...  
WHICH NOW TAKES THE CENTER OF IDA VERY CLOSE TO THE NORTHEASTERN TIP  
OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TODAY. IDA WILL THEN MOVE INTO THE GULF OF  
MEXICO AND APPROACH THE EAST-CENTRAL GULF COAST IN 48 TO 72 HOURS.  
MOST OF THE TRACK GUIDANCE SHOWS A TURN TOWARD THE EAST AND  
SOUTHEAST AT DAYS 3 AND 4 AS IDA BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL. HOWEVER...  
THERE IS LARGE SPREAD IN THE GUIDANCE WITH REGARD TO THE ULTIMATE  
FATE OF IDA. FOR EXAMPLE...THE ECMWF SHOWS THE EXTRATROPICAL  
REMNANTS OF IDA CONTINUING ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED  
STATES...WHILE THE GFS LEAVES THE REMNANTS OF IDA BEHIND A STRONGER  
BAROCLINIC LOW THAT FORMS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.  
GIVEN THE LARGE RANGE OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST  
SHOWS A SLOW SOUTHEASTWARD MOTION AT DAY 4...AND HAS IDA  
DISSIPATING AS IT IS ABSORBED INTO A FRONTAL ZONE BY DAY 5. THERE  
IS A HIGH DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY IN THIS PART OF THE FORECAST  
SCENARIO.  
 
THE OFFICIAL FORECAST SHOWS TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS REACHING  
PORTIONS OF THE U.S. GULF COAST IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. HOWEVER...  
SINCE IDA IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN UNDERGOING EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION  
AROUND THAT TIME...THESE HAZARDS ARE BEING HANDLED BY LOCAL  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ALONG THE GULF COAST IN THEIR  
PRODUCT SUITE WITH MARINE AND COASTAL FLOOD WATCHES... WARNINGS  
...AND ADVISORIES.  
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INITIAL 08/0900Z 20.5N 85.6W 80 KT  
12HR VT 08/1800Z 21.8N 86.7W 85 KT  
24HR VT 09/0600Z 24.0N 87.8W 85 KT  
36HR VT 09/1800Z 26.7N 88.5W 80 KT  
48HR VT 10/0600Z 28.5N 88.2W 65 KT  
72HR VT 11/0600Z 29.8N 86.1W 45 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
96HR VT 12/0600Z 28.0N 84.0W 30 KT...EXTRATROPICAL  
120HR VT 13/0600Z...DISSIPATED  
 
 
FORECASTER BRENNAN/KIMBERLAIN  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab TPC Page
Main Text Page