Storm Update

I guess when I post ominous information about storm forecasts and don't update them frequently people get a little worried about what's going on. I'm following them closely, but I probably won't write about them that often unless they really concern us. Nobody (including me) wants to read a blog of information transcribed from the Weather Service. You can always check the National Hurricane Center website for current information, though: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml.

The update: Bill is now a Category II hurricane and gaining strength. The forecast says "BILL COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR SO." The predicted track has a sharp turn north and should miss us entirely. The storm is moving very slowly, however, and this far out is way too soon to count on that prediction. I said I wouldn't mind experiencing a mild storm while we're here - Bill is not it.

Bill

Ana has more or less dissipated, and it's not expected to reorganize. A remnant low pressure zone was left behind, and we got some of the weather associated with it last night. Oh boy, did we get a lightning storm last night! It was exciting at first, but it went on so long that I was a bit annoyed at how hard it was to get back to sleep. We don't get lighting out in Washington. There's a lot of rain, but almost never lightning. I remember, after living there for a few years, a few of us heard a little rumble in the distance. We all looked at each other, a little confused, thinking the same thing, "was that thunder?"

Then there was Tropical Storm Claudette, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved over the mainland US. It dissipated quickly and wasn't a major storm.

Bill and Ana

There's a lot of storm activity out there. We have our second named storm of the season: Bill. There's also a concentrated surface low pressure zone (now Depression #4) in the Gulf of Mexico that has potential of developing. Ana has changed track slightly and is now expected to pass just south of us. Ana will hit the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as a Tropical Storm (sustained winds <73), and likely continue over Hispaniola and Cuba.

Ana

Bill is moving a bit slower, which means two things: it's track could change quite a lot by the time it gets in our neighborhood, and it has more time to gain strength over the ocean. Bill is expected to be the first hurricane of the season, becoming a Category I storm by Tuesday.

Bill

Ana

Satellite image of Tropical Storm Ana.

We have our first named storm of the season: Tropical Storm Ana. "Tropical Depression #2" strengthened, formed a circulation, and was upgraded overnight . I check the hurricane outlook daily. Until now I've mostly been reading the line "No tropical cyclone activity is expected in the next 48 hours." To which Jessee normally replies, "don't sound so disappointed!"

This storm has been out there for quite a while. It formed near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa, gained a little strength, weakened, and ultimately gained strength again last night to become the season's first named storm. Currently the maximum sustained winds are 40 mph with gusts higher than that. The forecast predicts that it could hit the Leeward Islands on Monday, and possibly us on Tuesday! But error in the predicted track can be as much as 300 nautical miles for forecasts this far out.

To follow the progress of the storm you can visit the National Hurricane Center's website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/