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Tropical Storm Sandy Is Born!
Tropical season is not over yet, though it has maybe felt like it since Isaac was the last one to impact the northern Gulf Coast and Tennessee Valley. An area of low pressure in the Caribbean is not moved much throughout the day, but with favorable conditions for strengthening, has developed into the 18th named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Sandy. Below is a visible satellite image of Tropical Storm Sandy spinning in the Caribbean.
The storm is not that strong yet and has only maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and remains stationary. Conditions are expected to remain favorable for continued strengthening over the next couple of days as the storm starts to move north-northeast, which means it will be no threat to anywhere along the Gulf Coast. Sandy will make landfall along the Jamaican coastline, before it moves over the mountainous terrain of eastern Cuba and over the Bahamas over the next several days. Below is the 5:00pm EDT forecast track of Tropical Storm Sandy.
Models disagree considerably with the progression of the system next week, with some taking it out to sea, while others have it potentially making landfall along the Eastern Seaboard.
A trough will be digging into the eastern United States as Sandy tries to near the Eastern Seaboard. The strength of the trough and Sandy once it moves over Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas will have a big role in the eventual track the storm takes. Everyone along the East Coast needs to pay close attention to this storm.
On a side note, Tropical Depression 19 also formed today in the central Atlantic, but will be not threat to land as it will take a northeasterly track and remain out at sea. Keep it here for the latest developments in the tropics!
- Jennifer Watson
Twitter: @JWatson_Wx
Facebook: Jennifer Watson WHNT
Use the hashtag ‘valleywx’ to talk weather with us on Twitter.
