Tropical Storm NORMA
ZCZC MIATCDEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM TROPICAL DEPRESSION NORMA DISCUSSION NUMBER 17 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 8 PM PDT MON SEP 26 2005 NORMA HAD CONTINUED TO PRODUCE SOME DEEP CONVECTION JUST WEST OF THE LOW LEVEL CENTER FOR MOST OF THE DAY... UNTIL VERY RECENTLY WHEN THE BURST THAT BEGAN AT ABOUT 21Z WENT ON A RAPID DECLINE. THE CYCLONE IS ABOUT TO CROSS THE 26C SST ISOTHERM... SO THIS WANING CONVECTION MIGHT BE THE LAST GASP FOR NORMA. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 30 KT REMAINS ROUGHLY A BLEND OF THE 00Z DVORAK T AND CI NUMBERS... BUT IT IS NOT LIKELY TO STAY THIS STRONG FOR MUCH LONGER. PERSISTENT EASTERLY SHEAR... COOLER SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES... AND AN INCREASINGLY STABLE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD INDUCE STEADY WEAKENING... AND IN 12 TO 24 HOURS NORMA WILL PROBABLY LOSE TROPICAL CYCLONE CHARACTERISTICS. THE DEPRESSION CONTINUES NORTHWESTWARD BUT AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER PACE... WITH AN INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE OF 315/7. WHILE THE CURRENT STEERING RESULTS FROM THE FLOW AROUND A LARGE MID-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE CENTERED OVER TEXAS... NORMA WILL PROBABLY TURN WESTWARD TOMORROW AS THIS RIDGE BUILDS TO ITS NORTH. ONCE THE CONVECTION COMPLETELY DIES OFF... THE LOW LEVEL FLOW DOMINATED BY THE NORTHEASTERLY TRADES WILL TAKE OVER AND SHOULD FORCE THE REMNANT LOW SOUTHWESTWARD. THE NEW OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY... JUST A LITTLE SLOWER LATE IN THE PERIOD. FORECASTER KNABB FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 27/0300Z 21.0N 115.4W 30 KT 12HR VT 27/1200Z 21.5N 116.2W 25 KT...DISSIPATING 24HR VT 28/0000Z 21.7N 117.2W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 36HR VT 28/1200Z 21.5N 118.1W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 48HR VT 29/0000Z 21.2N 119.0W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 72HR VT 30/0000Z 20.5N 120.5W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 96HR VT 01/0000Z 20.0N 122.0W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 120HR VT 02/0000Z 20.0N 123.5W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW $$ NNNN