Tropical Storm DARBY
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TROPICAL STORM DARBY DISCUSSION NUMBER 2
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP052010
200 AM PDT WED JUN 23 2010
THE OVERALL CONVECTIVE STRUCTURE OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE HAS
CONTINUED TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED. ALTHOUGH THE CIRCULATION
CENTER APPEARS TO BE LOCATED ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE DEEP
CONVECTION DUE TO SOME EASTERLY SHEAR...DVORAK T-NUMBERS ARE 2.5
FROM TAFB AND 2.0 FROM SAB. ASCAT DATA...WHICH IS KNOWN TO HAVE A
LOW BIAS...SHOWED A MAXIMUM OF 30 KT OUTSIDE OF THE DEEP CONVECTION
AT 0306 UTC. SINCE THE CLOUD PATTERN HAS IMPROVED OVER THE PAST
FEW HOURS AND STRONGER WINDS ARE LIKELY OCCURRING IN THE DEEP
CONVECTION...THE DEPRESSION IS UPGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM DARBY.
THE ASCAT PASS HELPED IN LOCATING THE LOW-LEVEL CENTER...AND IT IS
ESTIMATED THAT DARBY IS MOVING 305 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. A MID-LEVEL
RIDGE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES AND MEXICO SHOULD
STEER DARBY GENERALLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OVER THE NEXT 2
DAYS. THEREAFTER...STEERING CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS THE
RIDGE BREAKS DOWN. IN FACT...SEVERAL GLOBAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT
DARBY COULD STOP ALTOGETHER AND ATTAIN SOME EASTWARD MOTION WITHIN
LOW-LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW DURING THAT TIME. THE GLOBAL MODEL
SOLUTIONS ARE COUNTER TO THAT OF THE GFDL AND HWRF...WHICH MAINTAIN
A SLOW WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THIS
UNCERTAINTY SUPPORTS THE NEGLIGIBLE MOTION SHOWN IN THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST BY DAY 5.
THE SHIPS MODEL INDICATES THAT THE EASTERLY SHEAR OVER DARBY SHOULD
ABATE OVER THE NEXT 2 DAYS...GIVING THE SYSTEM A CHANCE TO
INTENSIFY. THE NEW OFFICIAL FORECAST SHOWS A LITTLE MORE
STRENGTHENING THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST...BUT THIS STILL MIGHT BE
ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE SINCE THE SHIPS RI INDEX INDICATES A 1 IN
4 CHANCE OF RAPID INTENSIFICATION OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WHATEVER
THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY...INCREASED VERTICAL SHEAR AFTER DAY 3 IS
EXPECTED TO INDUCE WEAKENING...ESPECIALLY IF DARBY BEGINS TO ATTAIN
AN EASTERLY MOTION.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INITIAL 23/0900Z 11.5N 94.0W 35 KT
12HR VT 23/1800Z 11.9N 95.1W 40 KT
24HR VT 24/0600Z 12.4N 96.6W 45 KT
36HR VT 24/1800Z 12.8N 98.2W 50 KT
48HR VT 25/0600Z 13.0N 99.4W 55 KT
72HR VT 26/0600Z 13.5N 101.0W 55 KT
96HR VT 27/0600Z 14.0N 101.5W 50 KT
120HR VT 28/0600Z 14.5N 101.5W 45 KT
$$
FORECASTER BERG
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