628  
WTNT43 KNHC 101434  
TCDAT3  
 
TROPICAL STORM RAFAEL DISCUSSION NUMBER 29  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL182024  
900 AM CST SUN NOV 10 2024  
 
CONVECTION HAS CONTINUED TO WEAKEN THIS MORNING AND MOVE FARTHER  
AWAY TO THE EAST OF THE LOW-LEVEL CENTER. RAFAEL’S REMAINING  
CONVECTION IS ALL LOCATED MORE THAN 75 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE  
CENTER. A RECENT OBSERVATION OF A 33-KT 1-MIN WIND FROM BUOY 42001  
INDICATES THAT RAFAEL STILL LIKELY HAS TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS.  
GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE BECAUSE RAFAEL IS LOCATED  
WITHIN A VERY DRY ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS FORECAST TO BECOME EVEN  
DRIER OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 H. THE NHC INTENSITY FORECAST IS  
SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS ONE AND FOLLOWS THE INTENSITY GUIDANCE.  
SIMULATED SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM THE ECMWF MODEL SUGGESTS THAT  
RAFAEL SHOULD LOSE ITS CONVECTION AND BECOME A REMNANT LOW WITHIN  
THE NEXT 12 TO 24 H. RAFAEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A REMNANT LOW  
EITHER TONIGHT OR ON MONDAY.  
 
RAFAEL HAS BEEN DRIFTING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST, OR 345/3 KT.  
RAFAEL WILL REMAIN OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AS IT SPINS DOWN OVER THE  
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, PERFORMING A SMALL CLOCKWISE LOOP OVER THE  
CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH MONDAY IN WEAK STEERING CURRENTS,  
BEFORE BEING PUSHED SOUTHWARD AND SOUTHWESTWARD BY THE LOW-LEVEL  
FLOW ON TUESDAY. THE LATEST NHC TRACK FORECAST LIES CLOSE TO THE  
CONSENSUS MODELS, AND ONLY MINOR TWEAKS WERE MADE TO THE PREVIOUS  
NHC TRACK FORECAST. THE NHC FORECAST CALLS FOR THE REMNANT LOW OF  
RAFAEL TO OPEN UP INTO A TROUGH AND DISSIPATE BY MID-WEEK, AND THIS  
SOLUTION IS ALSO SHOWN BY THE LATEST GFS AND ECMWF MODELS.  
 
RAFAEL POSES NO DIRECT THREAT TO LAND, BUT SWELLS FROM THE STORM ARE  
STILL CONTRIBUTING TO AN ELEVATED RIP CURRENT RISK ALONG THE  
NORTHERN AND WESTERN GULF COAST, AND THIS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE  
INTO MONDAY BEFORE SUBSIDING ON TUESDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1. SWELLS GENERATED BY RAFAEL ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING  
SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INIT 10/1500Z 26.3N 91.9W 35 KT 40 MPH  
12H 11/0000Z 26.4N 91.3W 30 KT 35 MPH  
24H 11/1200Z 25.9N 90.8W 30 KT 35 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW  
36H 12/0000Z 25.0N 90.9W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW  
48H 12/1200Z 24.1N 91.8W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW  
60H 13/0000Z 23.8N 92.9W 20 KT 25 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW  
72H 13/1200Z...DISSIPATED  
 

 
FORECASTER HAGEN  
 
 
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