ZCZC MIATCDEP1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM CCA TROPICAL STORM PATRICIA DISCUSSION NUMBER 10...CORRECTED NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 2 PM PDT WED OCT 22 2003 CORRECTED FOR INITIAL POSITION IN THE LIGHT OF DAY...PATRICIA DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A HEALTHY CYCLONE...WITH A CENTER EXPOSED TO THE WEST OF THE DEEP CONVECTION. DVORAK INTENSITY ESTIMATES SUPPORT SOMETHING IN THE VICINITY OF 55 KT...WHICH MAY BE A SHADE HIGH GIVEN THIS MORNING'S QUIKSCAT PASS. SHEAR ANALYSES FROM UW/CIMSS SHOWS LESS THAN 15 KT OF SOUTHWESTERLY WIND SHEAR...BUT THAT WAS APPARENTLY ENOUGH TO DISRUPT THE CORE STRUCTURE. PERHAPS PATRICIA WAS NEVER QUITE AS STRONG AS EARLIER THOUGHT. THE INITIAL MOTION IS 280/10. A NARROW MID-LEVEL RIDGE IS SEPARATING PATRICIA FROM THE MID- TO UPPER-LEVEL LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN BAJA PENINSULA. GLOBAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE LARGE-SCALE FLOW AHEAD OF PATRICIA WILL BECOME ILL-DEFINED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WITH WEAK SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW SOUTH OF AN ELONGATED TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE BAJA PENINSULA WESTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC. MODEL GUIDANCE REMAINS STRONGLY DIVERGENT. THE GFDL TAKES PATRICIA THROUGH THE RIDGE AND MAKES IT A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE STRIKING NORTHWESTERN MEXICO. GIVEN CURRENT TRENDS THIS SEEMS INCREASINGLY UNLIKELY. IT MAY BE THAT THE GFS IDEA FROM YESTERDAY OF WEST AND WEAK WAS THE RIGHT ONE...AND THIS MODEL CONTINUES TO DEFINE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE. THE UKMET AND NOGAPS HAVE STAKED OUT A COMPROMISE SCENARIO OF A NORTHWESTWARD TRACK WITH A BEND TO THE WEST AFTER 72 HOURS. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST HAS BEEN ADJUSTED CONSIDERABLY TO THE WEST OF THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY...AND IS A BLEND OF THE UKMET AND GFS SOLUTIONS. WITH WEAKER STEERING AHEAD...A SLOWING OF THE FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED. ALTHOUGH THE SHIPS AND GFS MODELS INDICATE CONTINUED WEAKENING... BOTH THE UKMET AND GFS GLOBAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE SHEAR COULD DIMINISH OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THEREFORE THE CURRENT INTENSITY IS HELD UNTIL LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD...WHEN PATRICIA WILL ENCOUNTER STRONGER WESTERLIES IF IT MOVES AS FAR NORTH AS CURRENTLY FORECAST. FORECASTER FRANKLIN FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 22/2100Z 12.3N 108.4W 55 KT 12HR VT 23/0600Z 12.8N 110.0W 55 KT 24HR VT 23/1800Z 13.7N 111.2W 55 KT 36HR VT 24/0600Z 14.5N 112.0W 55 KT 48HR VT 24/1800Z 15.5N 113.0W 55 KT 72HR VT 25/1800Z 17.0N 114.5W 50 KT 96HR VT 26/1800Z 19.0N 116.5W 45 KT 120HR VT 27/1800Z 20.0N 119.0W 35 KT NNNN
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Page last modified: Monday, 07-Feb-2005 16:50:01 UTC