Skip Navigation Links
NOAA NOAA United States Department of Commerce

Tropical Storm FAY


ZCZC MIATCDAT1 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
 
Tropical Storm Fay Discussion Number   1
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL062020
500 PM EDT Thu Jul 09 2020
 
Satellite and radar imagery, along with surface observations, have 
shown that the area of the low pressure near the coast of North 
Carolina reformed closer to the deep convection east of the Outer 
Banks today.  An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft 
investigating the disturbance this afternoon confirmed that the 
center is located near the edge of the primary convective mass, and 
that the system is producing an area of 35-40 kt winds to the east 
and southeast of the center.  Based on these observations, the 
system is classified as a tropical storm with an initial intensity 
of 40 kt.
 
Fay is located over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and within an 
area of light to moderate westerly shear.  These environmental 
conditions could allow for slight strengthening tonight and Friday.  
After that time, the circulation is forecast to interact with the 
mid-Atlantic coast and will be passing over cooler waters north of 
the Gulf Stream, likely limiting any further intensification.  Fay 
should weakening quickly once it moves inland Friday night or 
Saturday. 

Since a new center has recently formed, the initial motion is a
highly uncertain 360/6 kt. Fay is expected to move generally
northward between a high pressure ridge over the western Atlantic
and an approaching mid-latitude trough.  The 12Z dynamical model
guidance has come into much better agreement on a track very close
to the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast.  With the recent center 
reformation to the northeast, the tracker guidance from the 
dynamical models shows a track farther offshore than the model 
fields imply.  As a result, the NHC track lies along the left side 
of the guidance envelope but it is not as far west as what is 
indicated in the model fields. 

The NHC track and intensity forecast has required the issuance of a 
Tropical Storm Warning for a portion of the U.S. coast from the  
mid-Atlantic states to southern New England.

Key Messages:

1. Fay is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rain with isolated 
totals of 8 inches along and near the track across the mid-Atlantic 
states into southeast New York and southern New England. These rains 
may result in flash flooding where the heaviest amounts occur. 
Widespread river flooding is not expected at this time. 

2. Tropical storm conditions are expected along portions of the 
mid-Atlantic and northeast coast Friday and Friday night, and a 
Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the coasts of New Jersey, 
New York and Connecticut, including Long Island. 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
 
INIT  09/2100Z 35.5N  74.9W   40 KT  45 MPH
 12H  10/0600Z 37.1N  74.7W   45 KT  50 MPH
 24H  10/1800Z 39.0N  74.3W   45 KT  50 MPH
 36H  11/0600Z 41.6N  73.6W   35 KT  40 MPH...INLAND
 48H  11/1800Z 45.3N  72.4W   25 KT  30 MPH...INLAND
 60H  12/0600Z 49.1N  70.3W   20 KT  25 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
 72H  12/1800Z...DISSIPATED
 
$$
Forecaster Brown
 
NNNN