000 WTPZ45 KNHC 050835 TCDEP5 HURRICANE EUGENE DISCUSSION NUMBER 21 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP052011 200 AM PDT FRI AUG 05 2011 EUGENE CONTINUES TO STEADILY WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER PROGRESSIVELY COOLER WATERS. A COUPLE OF MICROWAVE PASSES INDICATED THAT THE INNER CORE STRUCTURE OF THE CYCLONE HAS DECAYED FURTHER. THE DEEP CONVECTION HAS ALSO BEEN QUICKLY SHRINKING...AND THAT WHICH REMAINS PRIMARILY LIES OVER THE RELATIVELY WARMER WATERS SOUTH OF THE CENTER. THE INTENSITY IS LOWERED TO 65 KT BASED ON A BLEND OF T AND CI NUMBERS FROM TAFB AND SAB. CONTINUED WEAKENING IS ANTICIPATED... WITH THE WEAKENING PERHAPS BECOMING MORE RAPID ONCE EUGENE REACHES SUB-24C WATERS AFTER 12 HOURS. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS ONE AND AGREES WELL WITH THE LATEST INTENSITY CONSENSUS AIDS. REMNANT LOW STATUS IS NOW FORECAST WITHIN 2 DAYS... SOONER THAN IN PREVIOUS FORECASTS. EUGENE REMAINS ON TRACK...WITH THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE STILL 285/11. A MID-TROPOSPHERIC RIDGE NORTH OF THE CYCLONE SHOULD HOLD SWAY DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WHICH SHOULD CAUSE EUGENE TO MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT HEADING AND SPEED. ONCE EUGENE WEAKENS FURTHER AND BECOMES A SHALLOW CYCLONE...A DECELERATION OF THE FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST IN THE RELATIVELY LIGHTER TRADE WIND FLOW. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST REMAINS ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE...HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY A MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS THAT DISREGARDS THE HWRF. THE WIND RADII HAVE BEEN MODIFIED BASED UPON A 0546 UTC ASCAT PASS. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 05/0900Z 17.6N 122.3W 65 KT 75 MPH 12H 05/1800Z 18.1N 123.9W 50 KT 60 MPH 24H 06/0600Z 18.7N 126.2W 40 KT 45 MPH 36H 06/1800Z 19.2N 128.2W 30 KT 35 MPH 48H 07/0600Z 19.7N 130.1W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW 72H 08/0600Z 20.5N 133.5W 20 KT 25 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW 96H 09/0600Z...DISSIPATED $$ FORECASTER KIMBERLAIN