NASA Uses 3 Satellites to See Strengthening Tropical Storm Nicol
September 30, 2010
NASA Satellites See Nicole Become a Remnant, Another Low Soaking U.S. East Coast
Tropical Storm Nicole was a tropical storm for around 6 hours before it
weakened into a remnant low pressure area and is now off the Florida
coast. NASA Satellite imagery captured different views of Nicole's
clouds as the system weakened back into a low pressure area.
While Nicole weakened, a huge trough of low pressure over the U.S.
eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine has become the key weathermaker
there. The trough, an elongated area of low pressure, is streaming
tropical moisture from Nicole's remnants and the Gulf of Mexico,
bringing high rainfall totals and severe weather up and down the coast.
At 2 a.m. EDT on Sept. 30, Nicole's remnant low was still 35 miles east
of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and about 65 miles west-southwest of Freeport,
the Bahamas. Nicole's remnants are forecast to merge with the giant
trough (an elongated area of low pressure) later today or early Friday.
Nicole's remnants, barely discernable on satellite imagery now because
of the huge trough to its west, will still be bringing locally heavy
rainfall over the Bahamas. There's just a 10 percent chance it will
regenerate as a subtropical cyclone in the next 24 hours.
The GOES-13 satellite captured a visible image of the extensive cloud
cover of the trough (elongated area of low pressure) all along the U.S.
East coast on Sept. 30 at 1345 UTC (9:45 a.m. EDT) that is feeding off
tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and Nicole's remnants. GOES
satellites are operated by NOAA and the NASA GOES Project at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. uses the satellite data to
create images and animations.
NASA's CloudSat satellite passed through the western section of
Tropical Storm Nicole on September 29, 2010 at 0727 UTC (3:27 a.m.
EDT). CloudSat captured an image of the elongated storm system when it
was located between Cuba and Florida was in the beginning stages of
tropical cyclone formation. CloudSat imagery noticed that low level
cyclonic circulation was developing around the low pressure area, as it
was being fueled by warm sea surface temperatures.
The CloudSat image captured areas of light cumulus precipitation mixed
with a stream of mid- level cloudiness, most likely altocumulus and
altostratus. Deep mid-level flow from the south-southwest was evident
in the image, occurring from the inclination of the clouds towards the
north-northeast.
On Sept. 28 at 18:20 UTC 2:20 p.m. EDT the Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured
a visible image of Tropical Storm Nicole over Cuba before it weakened
back into a tropical depression. Nicole was already losing her cyclonic
shape at that time.
The National Hurricane Center issued its final official forecast for
Nicole on Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. EDT. At that time, Nicole had maximum
sustained winds near 40 mph. It was about 175 miles east-northeast of
Havana, Cuba and 165 miles west of Nassau near 24.5 North and 80.0
West. It was moving north-northeast near 12 mph and had a minimum
central pressure of 996 millibars. At that time, it had degenerated
into an elongated area of low pressure and the National Hurricane
Center noted that the ill-defined low had become untrackable.
Forecasters are also watching a low pressure area in the eastern
Caribbean. A large area of disturbed weather associated with two
tropical waves is about 800 miles east of the Windward Islands. The
showers and thunderstorms in it are currently disorganized but it is
expected to move into more favorable conditions. It currently has a 30
percent chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next 48 hours,
so Cuba is watching it closely after being soaked by Nicole.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
September 29, 2010
NASA Uses 3 Satellites to See Strengthening Tropical Storm Nicole
NASA is providing data from three satellites to give forecasters
valuable information on newly strengthened Tropical Storm Nicole.
Nicole was Tropical Depression 16 until 11 a.m. EDT, Sept. 29 and NASA
data helped confirm her new designation. Satellite data from NASA
showed frigid thunderstorm cloud top temperatures, heavy rainfall, and
extensive cloud cover as Nicole strengthened.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument uses infrared
technology to take a tropical cyclone's temperature. AIRS sits on
NASA's Aqua satellite and captured an image of those cloud top
temperatures on Sept. 29 at 0723 UTC (3:23 a.m. EDT) revealing very
high thunderstorms around Nicole's center, colder than -65 Fahrenheit.
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (a satellite
shared with the Japanese Space Agency) captured the rainfall within
Nicole on Sept. 28 as 1447 UTC (10:47 a.m. EDT) when she was Tropical
Depression 16, and at that time noticed several areas of very heavy
rainfall, falling at a rate of more than 2 inches per hour around the
south and eastern sides of the storm's center of circulation. That
heavy rainfall continues today, Sept. 29. TRMM will be closely
monitoring Nicole with the expected accumulations of 5 to 10 inches
over the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Cuba and even isolated amounts up
to 20 inches are possible over the higher elevations of Cuba and
Jamaica.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13
captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Nicole today, Sept. 29 at
1432 UTC (10:32 a.m. EDT). GOES satellites are managed by NOAA. NASA's
GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
creates images and animations from the satellite data and created
today's image that shows the extensive cloud cover (which is also
associated with an elongated area of low pressure called a trough)
extending north into the Mid-Atlantic U.S. states. The imagery also
showed relatively clear skies over the eastern Atlantic which is due to
a high pressure area stationed there, which is forcing Tropical Storm
Nicole to the north.
At 11 a.m. EDT, Tropical Depression 16 strengthened into Tropical Storm
Nicole. Nicole's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph. Satellite
data is observed the strongest winds in Nicole are occurring in the
south and southeastern quadrants of the storm. It was centered near
Cuba, about 120 miles east-southeast of Havana, Cuba or 260 miles
southwest of Nassau, the Bahamas near 22.6 North and 80.6 West. Nicole
was moving northeast near 9 mph. It had a minimum central pressure of
996 millibars.
The National Hurricane Center now expects Nicole to stay just east of
Florida, so all of the watches and warnings for Florida have been
dropped. On the forecast track the center of Nicole will move over the
florida straits during the afternoon today (Sept. 29) and move near or
over the northwestern Bahamas tonight. Tropical Storm warnings that are
in effect include the Cayman Islands, Provinces of Cuba from Matanzas
eastward to Ciego de Avila and the northwestern and central Bahamas.
What's in Store for the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba and Florida?
The National Hurricane Center has noted that Nicole is going to drop
extreme amounts of rainfall. Nicole is expected to produce total rain
accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and
Cuba. Isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches are possible over the
higher elevations of Cuba and Jamaica. These rains could cause
life-threatening flash floods and mud slides. Rain accumulations of 4
to 8 inches are possible over portions of southern Florida, the Florida
Keys and the central and northwest Bahamas. Tropical storm conditions
are expected in the warning areas today and tonight. Also, isolated
tornadoes are possible along the immediate coast of southeastern
Florida and the Florida Keys today.
Nicole is expected to become an extra-tropical storm later today and
move northward along the U.S. east coast over the next couple of days.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
September 28, 2010
NASA Sees Colder Cloud-Top Temps in New Tropical Depression 16, Warnings Up
NASA's Aqua satellite has peered into the cloud tops of System 96L in
the western Caribbean early this morning and noticed that they've
become colder and higher, which indicated the storms was strengthening
and organizing. Just over eight hours later, the new Tropical
Depression 16 was born, and now has the potential to become a tropical
storm before it merges with an elongated area of low pressure near the
Florida late on Wednesday.
Tropical Depression 16 was officially named this morning, Sept. 28 at
11 a.m. EDT by NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. Many
watches and warnings have also already been posted this morning. At 11
a.m. Tropical Depression 16's center was about 180 miles south of
Havana, Cuba and 390 miles south-southwest of Miami, Fla. near 20.6
North latitude and 82.5 West longitude. It is moving north-northeast
near 10 mph and had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. Its minimum
central pressure was 1001 millibars.
The government of the Cayman Islands has issued a Tropical Storm
Warning for all of the Cayman Islands. The government of Cuba has
issued s Tropical Storm Warning for the Cuban provinces from Mantanzas
eastward to Ciego De Avila. The government of the Bahamas has issued a
tropical storm warning for the Northwestern and Central Bahamas. This
Warning Includes the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini,
Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, New Providence, Cat Island, the Exumas,
Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.
In the U.S., Florida is under a Tropical Storm Warning and Watch. A
Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the Florida coast from
Jupiter Inlet southward to East Cape Sable, and for all of the Florida
Keys, including Florida Bay and the Dry Tortugas. A Tropical Storm
Watch has been issued for the west coast of Florida from north of east
Cape Sable to Chokoloskee and for the east coast of Florida from north
of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument, known as AIRS has the
ability to determine cloud top and sea surface temperatures from its
position in space aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. Cloud top temperatures
help forecasters know if a storm is strengthening or weakening. When
cloud top temperatures get colder it means that they're getting higher
into the atmosphere which means the "uplift" of warm, moist air is
stronger and it will form stronger thunderstorms (that power a tropical
cyclone). When cloud-top temperatures warm up it means that the cloud
tops are lower than they were before, indicating that the storm is
weakening.
When the Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 16 (TD16) from
space on Sept. 28 at 0635 UTC (2:35 a.m. EDT) the AIRS instrument took
the temperature of the cloud tops in the storm and found them to be as
cold as or colder than -63 Fahrenheit throughout a very large area
within TD16, indicating the storm had a good amount of energy to power
it up. The area of strong thunderstorms in the AIRS images is quite
large, and TD16 is already raining on western Cuba.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite known as GOES-13
flew over Tropical Depression 16 on Sept. 28 at 1425 UTC (10:25 a.m.
EDT) as it strengthening into a depression. GOES-13's visible imagery
showed a large extent of cloud cover, spanning over Cuba and Jamaica,
the Cayman Islands and northeastward into south Florida.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Fla. noted this morning,
Sept. 28 at 8 a.m. EDT that TD16 is going to bring some heavy rains and
squally conditions in the Caribbean. NHC said, "Heavy rains and strong
gusty winds to tropical storm force are expected to affect the Cayman
Islands, Jamaica and Cuba today. These weather conditions are likely to
spread over the Florida Keys, southern Florida and the northwestern
Bahamas later today and Wednesday."
During the morning hours of Sept. 28, the strongest winds were
happening about a couple of hundred miles east and south of the Isle of
Youth, Cuba and Grand Cayman. If TD16 strengthens into a tropical
storm, it would be named Nicole.
South-southwesterly vertical wind shear associated with a large
upper-level trough moving into the southeastern U.S. is expected to
limit the storm's intensification, although it is near tropical
storm-force this morning. The projected track of the TD16 takes it in a
north-northeasterly direction across Cuba toward southeastern Florida.
Meanwhile, there's another female named storm that's still making waves
in the Atlantic Ocean basin, Julia. However, Julia is just a remnant
low pressure area and is about 150 miles south-southeast of Bermuda.
This remnant low is moving west-northwest near 15 mph and is not in a
good environment for redevelopment. The NHC gives Julia's remnants a
meager ten percent chance of redeveloping in the next 48 hours, so TD16
is the one to watch.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
