Saturday, September 16, 2006

Hurricane Lane Discussion #12

Hurricanes don't listen to us telling them where they're supposed to go, and Lane listened even less than most:


000
WTPZ43 KNHC 161538
TCDEP3
HURRICANE LANE DISCUSSION NUMBER 12...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP132006
800 AM PDT SAT SEP 16 2006

...CORRECTED TO ADD INLAND AT 12 HR...

SATELLITE IMAGERY AND DATA FROM THE MEXICAN RADARS AT LOS CABOS AND
GUASAVE SHOW THAT LANE HAS AN EYE ABOUT 8-10 N MI WIDE. ON
SATELLITE...THE EYE IS EMBEDDED IN CLOUD TOPS OF -70 TO -80C AND
HAS BECOME BETTER DEFINED IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. SATELLITE
INTENSITY ESTIMATES ARE 115 KT FROM SAB...AND 102 KT FROM TAFB AND
AFWA. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS INCREASED TO 110 KT BASED ON THESE
ESTIMATES AND THE INCREASED EYE DEFINTION SINCE 12Z. THE LOS CABOS
RADAR SUGGESTS THAT LANE IS ABOUT TO START AN EYEWALL REPLACEMENT
CYCLE...SUGGESTING THAT THE HURRICANE IS CLOSE TO PEAKING IN
INTENSITY EVEN IF IT REMAINS OVER WATER LONGER THAN CURRENTLY
FORECAST. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN
MEXCIO AFTER LANDFALL...AND THE LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION IS FORECAST
TO DISSIPATE COMPLETELY BY 72 HR.

THE INITIAL MOTION IS 350/9. LANE IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF A
MID/UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER NORTHERN MEXICO...AND IS MOVING TOWARD A
DEEP-LAYER TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. IF OVER
WATER...THIS WOULD PROBABLY RECURVE LANE TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST
AS SUGGESTED BY THE GFDN MODEL. HOWEVER...THE LOWER- AND UPPER-
LEVEL CIRCULATIONS OF LANE ARE LIKELY TO DE-COUPLE OVER THE
MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN MEXICO...WITH THE LOW-LEVEL CENTER DISSIPATING
AND THE UPPER CIRCULATION TURNING EASTWARD. THE FORECAST TRACK
CALLS FOR A NORTHWARD TO NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION BEFORE
DISSIPATION ALONG AND WEST OF THE MAIN MOUNTAIN RANGES OF WESTERN
MEXICO.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INITIAL 16/1500Z 23.5N 107.1W 110 KT
12HR VT 17/0000Z 24.8N 107.4W 90 KT...INLAND
24HR VT 17/1200Z 25.9N 107.6W 60 KT...INLAND
36HR VT 18/0000Z 26.8N 107.9W 35 KT...INLAND
48HR VT 18/1200Z 27.8N 108.2W 25 KT...INLAND DISSIPATING
72HR VT 19/1200Z...DISSIPATED

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN