Hurricane Sandy

[toxictwister00]

I haven't done any research into these, but I've been hearing similarities between Sandy and "The Perfect Storm (1991)" and Hurricane Hazel (1954) being buzzed up. I didn't expect it to go through rapid intensification to become a Cat. 2 right now. Cat. 3 status is certainly not out of the question before weakening as it heads NNE then back NNW.

[Eric]

Amazing - New England goes more than a decade without a strike after Hurricane Bob, then two strikes in two years.

[TWCCraig]

OMG!!!  I have never been this pumped for a storm ever!



Note: This image will update

[phw115wvwx]

NHC has asked all NWS sites in the continental United States to launch weather balloons every 6 hours instead of the usual 12 from this afternoon through Saturday morning.  Eastern NWS sites will keep launching these special balloons through Tuesday morning unless NHC stops it sooner.  Hopefully, the models will finally converge on Sandy's exact track with this extra data.  It means a fair bit of overtime for me these next few days. 

Now that the GFS has finally joined the ECMWF in predicting Sandy to make landfall over the Northeast after turning extratropical along the way, my disbelief from earlier is turning into panic.  In addition to winds, storm surge, flooding, and the risk for tornadoes, there could be some good snow accumulations possible along the back side of this storm where the cold air in the upper-level trough resides.  I swear this whole situation is a perfect "It Can Happen Tomorrow" script, but it's real!

[toxictwister00]

Somebody at the HPC dubbed Sandy "Frankenstorm"in one of their discussions today. 

[WeatherWitness]

I haven't done any research into these, but I've been hearing similarities between Sandy and "The Perfect Storm (1991)" and Hurricane Hazel (1954) being buzzed up. I didn't expect it to go through rapid intensification to become a Cat. 2 right now. Cat. 3 status is certainly not out of the question before weakening as it heads NNE then back NNW.

OK, wow, it's really creepy that you make this comparison Tavores, because they will essentially be happening around the exact same time period!

[Localonthe8s]

There are already talks about closing the casinos in Atlantic City later next week. NJ is going to feel the brunt of this storm. It's too soon to tell how much of an effect Sandy will do the NYC metro area - this will be very interesting. A nor'easter and a major hurricane combined. Don't think we've seen a storm make landfall here..let alone this late in the season!

[Mr. Rainman]

GOES-14 will be doing 1-minute scans of Sandy until landfall or dissipation. You can view a constantly updating loop here, at

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=dev/lindsey/loops/goes14&image_width=1020&image_height=720&number_of_images_to_display=50

[TWCCraig]

ECMWF had Sandy phasing too early and is now on par with other models for a NJ/NY/New England hit.

[Eric]

Sandy just gave me the wettest bike ride home from work I've ever had.  I got soaked straight through.  It was just... disgusting.

[TWCCraig]

This question is for Patrick, I thought I would ask it here because it would be more relevant to the conversation. My question is would the NHC issue tropical weather warnings for a storm that will most likely be post-tropical by the time it gets here? I'm wondering if the NHC will issue warnings for us or just our local NWS office will have to issue several individual warnings like Hind Wind Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, etc. For the sake of saving lives, I think issuing a tropical storm warning or hurricane warning would be much easier for common people to understand rather than having several different warnings and have everyone understand what each warning means.

[phw115wvwx]

This question is for Patrick, I thought I would ask it here because it would be more relevant to the conversation. My question is would the NHC issue tropical weather warnings for a storm that will most likely be post-tropical by the time it gets here? I'm wondering if the NHC will issue warnings for us or just our local NWS office will have to issue several individual warnings like Hind Wind Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, etc. For the sake of saving lives, I think issuing a tropical storm warning or hurricane warning would be much easier for common people to understand rather than having several different warnings and have everyone understand what each warning means.

If NHC drops a cyclone from tropical status before it reaches landfall, then they can't issue any tropical watches or warnings.  It would be up to the individual NWS offices at that point to issue other advisories, watches, and warnings.  A cyclone has to become completely extratropical for the tropical status to be dropped, so I think NHC will likely leave Sandy as tropical all the way to landfall as indicated in the forecast track.

[Localonthe8s]

The latest GFS posted on Reed Timmer's FB page shows it going right for NYC/Long Island and perhaps a small slither of northern jersey.

[Star4000 Fan]

Dayton, Ohio's current Tuesday forecast is "Rain and snow" with highs in the low 40s.  Our normal high would be about 59.  Winter Storm Watches are out in West Virginia's higher elevations.

[TWCCraig]

I would call for a landfall in Sothern NJ at this point. I'm putting more of my confidence in the global models rather than the hurricane models at this point.