Tropical Storm ESTELLE
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TROPICAL STORM ESTELLE DISCUSSION NUMBER 4
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP072010
200 PM PDT FRI AUG 06 2010
AFTER A RATHER LONG...PERHAPS UNPRECEDENTED...BREAK IN TROPICAL
STORM ACTIVITY IN THE HEART OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC SEASON...
ESTELLE HAS FORMED. SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE A CDO-TYPE PATTERN
FORMING NEAR THE CENTER ALONG WITH PLENTY OF CONVECTIVE CURVED
BANDS. SATELLITE CLASSIFICATIONS FROM BOTH AGENCIES ARE 35 KT...AND
THIS WILL BE THE INITIAL INTENSITY. FURTHER INTENSIFICATION IS
LIKELY DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO GIVEN AN ENVIRONMENT OF LIGHT
SHEAR...UPPER-LEVEL DIVERGENCE...AND RATHER WARM WATERS. MODEL
GUIDANCE IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN BEFORE...BUT NONE OF THEM MAKE
ESTELLE A HURRICANE. THE NHC FORECAST IS NUDGED UPWARD...AND
REMAINS NEAR OR ABOVE THE GUIDANCE.
A SERIES OF MICROWAVE IMAGES HELPED SET THE INITIAL MOTION AT
290/10. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO DUE
TO RIDGING OVER MEXICO. THERE REMAINS A SPLIT IN THE MODEL
GUIDANCE WITH THE GFDL/HWRF/GFDN MOVING THE SYSTEM TO THE NORTHWEST
IN A COUPLE OF DAYS DUE TO A BREAK IN THE RIDGE. MOST OF THE
GLOBAL MODELS ARE FARTHER SOUTH...SHOWING A SHALLOWER SYSTEM THAT
SLOWS DOWN AS IT GETS CAUGHT UP IN LARGE-SCALE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW
SOUTH OF MEXICO. SINCE THE SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO WEAKEN IN A COUPLE
OF DAYS BEFORE IT REACHES THE BREAK...A SOUTHERN SOLUTION IS
ANTICIPATED AND THE OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST IS SHIFTED IN THAT
DIRECTION. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY...HOWEVER...AT THE
LONGER-RANGES OF THIS FORECAST DUE TO THE LARGE MODEL SPREAD.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INITIAL 06/2100Z 17.2N 105.0W 35 KT
12HR VT 07/0600Z 17.7N 106.3W 45 KT
24HR VT 07/1800Z 18.2N 107.8W 55 KT
36HR VT 08/0600Z 18.6N 109.0W 55 KT
48HR VT 08/1800Z 19.0N 110.0W 50 KT
72HR VT 09/1800Z 19.5N 111.5W 40 KT
96HR VT 10/1800Z 19.5N 112.5W 30 KT...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
120HR VT 11/1800Z 19.5N 113.5W 20 KT...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
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FORECASTER BLAKE
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