000 WTPZ42 KNHC 200231 TCDEP2 HURRICANE IVO DISCUSSION NUMBER 7 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP122007 800 PM PDT WED SEP 19 2007 SATELLITE PRESENTATION HAS CONTINUED TO IMPROVE WITH AN AREA OF DEEP CONVECTION NEAR THE CENTER AND A WELL ESTABLISHED UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW. DVORAK T-NUMBERS FROM BOTH TAFB AND SAB HAVE INCREASED TO 4.0 AND A RECENT MICROWAVE PASSAGE SHOWS A WELL DEFINED RING OF CONVECTION RESEMBLING AN EYEWALL. ON THIS BASIS...IVO HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A 65 KNOT HURRICANE. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR IVO TO STRENGTHEN SOME DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. THEREAFTER...A GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST SINCE THE SHEAR IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE...AS INDICATED BY THE SHIPS MODELS. IN FACT...SOME OF THE GLOBAL MODELS WEAKEN OR LOSE THE CYCLONE BEYOND DAY 3. ONLY THE GFDL KEEPS IVO AS A HURRICANE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE COAST OF MAINLAND MEXICO. WE WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR FUTURE GFDL RUNS. IVO APPEARS TO BE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST OR 315 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS AROUND THE SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. THIS RIDGE WILL BE ERODED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE MID-LATITUDE TROUGH...RESULTING IN VERY WEAK STEERING CURRENTS. IVO IS EXPECTED TO TURN NORTHWARD VERY SLOWLY AND THEN TURN MORE TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITHIN THE LIGHT FLOW TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE MID-LATITUDE TROUGH. THE TRACK FORECAST BASICALLY FOLLOW THE SOLUTION OF THE GLOBAL MODELS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GFS FORECAST WHICH APPEARS TO BE TOO FAR TO THE WEST. INTERESTS IN SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF IVO DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 20/0300Z 16.1N 112.4W 65 KT 12HR VT 20/1200Z 16.9N 113.2W 70 KT 24HR VT 21/0000Z 18.0N 113.5W 75 KT 36HR VT 21/1200Z 19.0N 113.5W 75 KT 48HR VT 22/0000Z 20.0N 113.0W 70 KT 72HR VT 23/0000Z 21.5N 112.0W 60 KT 96HR VT 24/0000Z 22.5N 111.0W 50 KT 120HR VT 25/0000Z 24.0N 110.0W 50 KT $$ FORECASTER AVILA