
HURRICANE IDA FORECAST #8
TROPICAL FORECAST CENTER
4:00 PM EST SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2009
Hurricane Watch remains in effect for Grand Isle LA to Mexico Beach FL. Hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible...generally within 36 hours.
Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula from Playa del Carmen to Cabo Catoche. Hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected...generally within 24 hours.
Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Playa del Carmen.
Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the Yucantan Peninsula from Punta Allen to Playa del Carmen and from Cabo Catoche to San Felipe. Warnings are also in effect for the Cuban Providence of Pinar del Sol. Tropical storm warnings mean that tropical storm conditions are likely...generally within 24 hours.
Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for the Isle of Youth. Tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible...generally within 36 hours.
At 4 PM EST (2100Z)...the eye of Hurricane Ida was located near 21.9 N 86.3 W or 620 miles south of Mobile. Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph...which makes Ida a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Some additional strengthening is possible and Ida could come close to major hurricane status. Movement is toward the north-northwest near 10 mph and this general motion is expected to continue with some increase in forward speed over the next 24 hours. On the forecast track...Ida will continue to move into the Southern Gulf of Mexico towards the Central Gulf Coast states. Minimum central pressure just reported by the Air Force Recon Plane is 976 mb/28.82 in.
Ida have continued to strengthen slightly during the day today as ADT numbers are at 4.2 and Dvorak Estimates are around 4.5...however with the Recon Plane in...they have reported winds of 85 kts...and this will remain the initial intensity. Ida still have a small window of opportunity to strengthen before moving into cooler waters and will cause Ida to weaken and turn into an extratropical system. There are uncertainities remains as to whether Ida will truly lose all of her tropical characteristics prior to making landfall in about 48 hours. Because of the uncertainites hurricane watches have been posted for parts of the Central Gulf Coast. After Ida makes landfall...she will become extratropical and will be absorbed by a frontal system in about 5 days.
Initial motion is 330/9 kts. Ida continues to be influence by a mid level ridge. Forecast models continue to agree on the short term forecast with the north-northwest motion...however after about the 48 hour time frame is where forecast models differ greatly as a mid level trough and a cold front. My current forecast track is to the left of previous forecasts and north of NHCs as my new track now take Ida or her remnants across the southeast and offshore near the VA/NC border before being absorbed. Again...there are some uncertainties in the exact forecast track and while I have to note that NHCs previous forecast tracks have kept Ida offshore until their last two forecast packages where they have Ida moving inland. This is still not an exact science and we all as forecasters will continue to better our forecast skills.
Forecast Positions and Intensity:
08/21Z 21.9 N 86.3 W 85 kts
09/09Z 24.0 N 87.5 W 85 kts
09/21Z 26.9 N 88.4 W 85 kts
10/09Z 30.1 N 88.2 W 75 kts
10/21Z 32.7 N 86.3 W 55 kts...inland
11/21Z 35.0 N 79.0 W 30 kts...inland/extratropical
12/21Z 37.0 N 74.0 W 20 kts...extratropical
13/21Z Absorbed by front
JACKSON