The Wednesday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Please refer to posts below this one that have detailed current information on Rita... J.B. Elliott and Bill Murray's information is excellent. This blog will be our primary outlet for late breaking information on Rita in coming days, so be sure and check in often.
***Just learned that NHC will up Rita to a category FIVE on the next advisory package with 165 mph winds***
Here is the text
WTNT63 KNHC 211955
TCUAT3
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
255 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005
DATA FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS OF 165 MPH. THIS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE 4 PM CDT ADVISORY.
We have noted a jog to the north in recent frames... there will be wobbles along the way. But, the NHC track and the models all point to landfall on the Texas Gulf coast between Port Lavaca and Freeport late Friday night or early Saturday morning as a category four storm, similar in strength to Katrina when she slammed ashore a few weeks ago.
This track would bring catastrophic damage to places like Port Lavaca and Freeport. And, significant damage and storm surge to Galveston. Any jog to the east would increase the risk of catastrophic damage to Galveston. That is why we are watching this north wobble with interest.
QPF shows 15 inches of rain for southeast Texas...
ALABAMA STORY: A few isolated showers have popped up over the northwest corner of Alabama this afternoon, but most places will be dry through Friday. Afternoon showers this weekend should be very isolated.
The 12Z run of the GFS keeps most of the moisture with Rita to the north and west of Alabama next week. BUT, the good news the long wave eastern U.S. trough is still there in the October 4-6 time frame, and a major change to colder weather is likely. Get ready for the 40s if this is correct.
AIR QUALITY: A code orange air quality alert for the Birmingham metro tomorrow due to particulate pollution.
A BIG THANK YOU: To Gary Watkins of our engineering staff, who has been up at our Doppler radar site on Double Oak mountain for days working on the system. The radar is back in operation now:
http://www.abc3340.com/weather/doppler.html
Lots going on in the weather office... we will have more information here shortly. Stay tuned...
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Please refer to posts below this one that have detailed current information on Rita... J.B. Elliott and Bill Murray's information is excellent. This blog will be our primary outlet for late breaking information on Rita in coming days, so be sure and check in often.
***Just learned that NHC will up Rita to a category FIVE on the next advisory package with 165 mph winds***
Here is the text
WTNT63 KNHC 211955
TCUAT3
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
255 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005
DATA FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS OF 165 MPH. THIS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE 4 PM CDT ADVISORY.
We have noted a jog to the north in recent frames... there will be wobbles along the way. But, the NHC track and the models all point to landfall on the Texas Gulf coast between Port Lavaca and Freeport late Friday night or early Saturday morning as a category four storm, similar in strength to Katrina when she slammed ashore a few weeks ago.
This track would bring catastrophic damage to places like Port Lavaca and Freeport. And, significant damage and storm surge to Galveston. Any jog to the east would increase the risk of catastrophic damage to Galveston. That is why we are watching this north wobble with interest.
QPF shows 15 inches of rain for southeast Texas...
ALABAMA STORY: A few isolated showers have popped up over the northwest corner of Alabama this afternoon, but most places will be dry through Friday. Afternoon showers this weekend should be very isolated.
The 12Z run of the GFS keeps most of the moisture with Rita to the north and west of Alabama next week. BUT, the good news the long wave eastern U.S. trough is still there in the October 4-6 time frame, and a major change to colder weather is likely. Get ready for the 40s if this is correct.
AIR QUALITY: A code orange air quality alert for the Birmingham metro tomorrow due to particulate pollution.
A BIG THANK YOU: To Gary Watkins of our engineering staff, who has been up at our Doppler radar site on Double Oak mountain for days working on the system. The radar is back in operation now:
http://www.abc3340.com/weather/doppler.html
Lots going on in the weather office... we will have more information here shortly. Stay tuned...
on September 21, 2005, 2:16 pm
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