Hurricane FAUSTO
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HURRICANE FAUSTO DISCUSSION NUMBER 10
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP072008
800 AM PDT FRI JUL 18 2008
AN EYE IS NOT YET DISCERNIBLE IN GEOSTATIONARY VISIBLE OR INFRARED
IMAGERY...BUT A SSMIS OVERPASS FROM 1253Z THAT JUST CAME IN REVEALS
ABOUT HALF OF AN EYEWALL HAS FORMED IN THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE.
DVORAK INTENSITY ESTIMATES AT 12Z WERE A CONSENSUS 65 KT...AND
COMBINED WITH THE MICROWAVE SIGNATURE PROVIDE ENOUGH EVIDENCE THAT
FAUSTO HAS BECOME A HURRICANE...THE THIRD OF THE 2008 EASTERN
PACIFIC SEASON. CONDITIONS APPEAR RIPE FOR CONTINUED
STRENGTHENING...WITH NOT MUCH WIND SHEAR AND RATHER WARM SSTS ALONG
THE FORECAST TRACK FOR THE NEXT 2-3 DAYS. THE NEW OFFICIAL
INTENSITY FORECAST PEAKS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE AND
IS CLOSE TO A CONSENSUS OF THE AVAILABLE OBJECTIVE INTENSITY
MODELS.
THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS AN UNSURPRISING 285/11. FEW CHANGES
TO THE MOTION ARE INDICATED BY THE OFFICIAL FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE
FIVE-DAY PERIOD...AS THE CYCLONE WILL BE STEERED BY THE SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE TO ITS NORTH. THAT RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY BUT
TEMPORARILY IN A DAY OR TWO AS A LOW MOVES INTO CALIFORNIA...BUT
THE MODELS INDICATE IT WILL BECOME REESTABLISHED ON DAYS 3-5.
THERE IS SOME SPREAD IN THE LONG-RANGE GUIDANCE TRACKS...BUT THE
CONSENSUS HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH AND NEITHER HAS THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST...WHICH IS MOSTLY A BLEND OF THE GFS...GFDL...AND HWRF.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INITIAL 18/1500Z 13.6N 108.0W 65 KT
12HR VT 19/0000Z 14.0N 109.3W 75 KT
24HR VT 19/1200Z 14.7N 110.7W 85 KT
36HR VT 20/0000Z 15.7N 112.1W 85 KT
48HR VT 20/1200Z 16.7N 113.9W 85 KT
72HR VT 21/1200Z 18.5N 118.0W 70 KT
96HR VT 22/1200Z 20.0N 122.5W 60 KT
120HR VT 23/1200Z 21.5N 127.0W 45 KT
$$
FORECASTER KNABB
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