Hurricane FABIAN
ZCZC MIATCDAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM HURRICANE FABIAN DISCUSSION NUMBER 15 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT SUN AUG 31 2003 LATEST INFRARED IMAGERY OF FABIAN SHOWS A SLIGHTLY RAGGED LOOK TO THE COLDEST CLOUDTOP TEMPERATURES SURROUNDING THE EYE. THIS IS PROBABLY ONLY TEMPORARY BUT HAS ARRESTED ANY CONTINUED STRENGTHENING IN THE SHORT TERM. DVORAK SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES FROM TAFB...SAB...AND AIR FORCE GLOBAL REMAIN AT 6.0. THE INITIAL INTENSITY WILL REMAIN AT 110 KT. FABIAN IS NOW MOVING ON A MORE WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK AT ABOUT 11 KT AND IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ON THIS COURSE THROUGH THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND THEN BEGIN A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST. LITTLE HAS CHANGED IN THE MODEL GUIDANCE. THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE TRACK OF FABIAN FOR THE NEXT 72 HOURS AS IT MOVES SOUTH OF THE ATLANTIC SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. ALL THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT A TROUGH APPROACHING THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES ON DAYS FOUR AND FIVE WILL CREATE A WEAKNESS IN THE RIDGE NORTH OF FABIAN AND ALLOW IT TO TURN MORE NORTHWESTWARD. THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE TROUGH DEEPENS DIFFERS SLIGHTLY WITH NOGAPS BEING MOST AGGRESSIVE... DEVELOPING A FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH AND ALLOWING FABIAN TO TURN NORTH SOONER. GFS AND UKMET NOT INDICATING AS DEEP A TROUGH AND REMAIN THE TWO SOUTHERN MOST TRACKS. THE GFDL FALLS IN BETWEEN. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK IS SHIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE PREVIOUS TRACK AND REPRESENTS A CONSENSUS OF THE GLOBAL MODELS. AFTER THE TEMPORARY PAUSE IN INTENSIFICATION AS MENTIONED ABOVE... THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REASON FOR FABIAN NOT TO STRENGTHEN A BIT MORE WITH A FORECAST OF LOW VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND WARM SSTS. BOTH SHIPS AND GFDL ARE INDICATING SOME STRENGTHENING AND THE OFFICIAL FORECAST REFLECTS THIS AS WELL. FORECASTER JARVINEN FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 31/0900Z 18.0N 51.9W 110 KT 12HR VT 31/1800Z 18.5N 53.6W 115 KT 24HR VT 01/0600Z 19.3N 55.8W 120 KT 36HR VT 01/1800Z 20.1N 57.8W 120 KT 48HR VT 02/0600Z 21.0N 59.8W 120 KT 72HR VT 03/0600Z 23.4N 63.3W 120 KT 96HR VT 04/0600Z 26.3N 65.4W 120 KT 120HR VT 05/0600Z 29.5N 67.0W 120 KT NNNN