Tag: Flossie 2019

Aug. 06, 2019 – NASA Sees Flossie Now a Remnant Low Pressure Area

 Former Hurricane Flossie was nothing more than a remnant low pressure area early on Tuesday, August 6. Infrared imagery from NASA’s Aqua satellite found just a few scattered areas of cold clouds in thunderstorms in the remnants northeast of the Hawaiian Islands.

NASA’s Aqua satellite uses infrared light to analyze the strength of storms by providing temperature information about the system’s clouds. The strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.

On August 6 at 4:40 a.m. EDT (0840 UTC), the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite gathered infrared data on Flossie.

MODIS found just a few scattered areas of cold clouds in thunderstorms in the remnants, northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. Those thunderstorms had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 Celsius).

The NHC issued the final advisory on Flossie at 11 p.m. EDT on Aug. 5 (0300 UTC on Aug. 6).  At that time, center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Flossie was located near latitude 20.8 degrees North and longitude 154.6 degrees West. That’s about 85 miles (135 km) north-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph). A gradual turn toward the north-northwest is expected until dissipation on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts.

Flossie is expected to gradually degenerate over the next day or so and dissipate by Wednesday.

For updated forecasts, visit: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 05, 2019 – NASA Finds One Small Area of Strong Storms Left in Fading Flossie

NASA’s Terra satellite found one small area of strong storms left in Tropical Depression Flossie on August 5 as it neared Hawaii.

Although Flossie is not expected to make landfall, its center will stay over the Central Pacific and pass close enough to the Hawaiian Island chain to bring ocean swells and rainfall. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, “Swells generated by Flossie will continue to affect portions of the main Hawaiian Islands during the next day or two, producing dangerous surf conditions along east and southeast facing shores.”

In addition, moisture associated with Flossie will spread over portions of the main Hawaiian Islands on Monday, bringing the potential for heavy rainfall. Total rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches are expected, with localized higher amounts.

 NASA’s Terra satellite uses infrared light to analyze the strength of storms by providing temperature information about the system’s clouds. The strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.

On Aug. 5 at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 UTC), the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite gathered infrared data on Flossie, now weakened to a depression. The one small area of strong storms was northeast of the center where thunderstorms had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 Celsius).

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Flossie was located near latitude 19.4 degrees north and longitude 151.3 degrees west. The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph). Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 millibars.

NHC said, “Weakening is forecast during the next couple days, with Flossie becoming a post-tropical remnant low Monday or Monday night, and dissipating on Tuesday, August 6.”

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 02, 2019 – NASA Sees Tropical Storm Flossie Headed to Central Pacific Ocean

Tropical Storm Flossie continues tracking in a westward direction through the Eastern Pacific Ocean and is expected to move into the Central Pacific Ocean later today, August 2.

NASA’s Aqua satellite used infrared light to provide temperature information of clouds and sea surface. The strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.

On August 2 at 6:10 a.m. EDT (1010 UTC), the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite found those strongest storms around the center and in fragmented bands of thunderstorms circling the center, where cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius).

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, “Tropical Storm Flossie is a little more symmetric than it was last night. The center of the tropical storm appears to be more embedded within its central dense overcast.”

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 17.1 degrees north and longitude 137.8 degrees west. That’s about 1,145 miles (1.845 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 kph), and this general heading with a slight decrease in forward speed is expected through early next week. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 kph) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 993 millibars.

On the forecast track, Flossie is forecast to cross into the central Pacific basin later today.

Gradual weakening is anticipated over the weekend and will likely continue through early next week.

For updated forecasts, visit: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 01, 2019 – Satellite Shows Tropical Storm Flossie Holding Up

Satellite imagery showed that Tropical Storm Flossie’s structure didn’t change much overnight from July 31 to August 1. NOAA’s GOES-West satellite provided a view of the storm early on Aug. 1.

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), on August 1, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 15.1 degrees north and longitude 131.6 degrees west. That’s about 1,580 miles (2,540 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph), and this general motion is expected to continue through early Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is anticipated for the next couple of days.  The estimated minimum central pressure is 996 millibars.

NOAA’s GOES-West satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Flossie on August 1 at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 UTC) and the storm’s structure had not really changed overnight. However, recent SSMI microwave data indicate that the center of the tropical storm is displaced to the northwest of all of its strongest storms.

NOAA manages the GOES series of satellites and the NASA builds and launches the satellites for NOAA.  The NASA/NOAA GOES Project is located at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

NHC said, on the forecast track, Flossie should cross into the central Pacific basin late Friday or early Saturday. Flossie is forecast to begin slowly weakening on Saturday.

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

July 31, 2019 – NASA Casts a Double Eye on Hurricane Flossie

NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites provided infrared views of Flossie before and after it became a hurricane while moving through the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Both satellites analyzed Flossie’s cloud top temperatures and structure as the storm strengthened.

On July 30 at 5:41 a.m. EDT (0941 UTC) infrared data and cloud top temperatures were obtained in then Tropical Storm Flossie, using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument. AIRS found coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) around the center of circulation and in a large area west of the center. The stronger the storms, the higher they extend into the troposphere, and they have the colder cloud temperatures.

Flossie continued to strengthen after Aqua passed overhead, and by 5 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. HST/2100 UTC) on July 30, it became a hurricane.

On July 31 at 6:35 a.m. EDT (1035 UTC),the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite gathered infrared data on Flossie after it became a hurricane. Like the AIRS image the previous day, there were two areas of strongest storms. In the Terra imagery, the strongest storms were also colder and clouds tops higher in the troposphere than they were in the July 30 AIRS imagery.

On July 31, the strongest storms were located around the center and in a band of thunderstorms southwest of the center where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius).  Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC) the center of Hurricane Flossie was located near latitude 14.0 degrees north latitude and longitude 125.8 degrees west. Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph).  A west-northwestward to westward motion at a similar forward speed is anticipated for the next several days.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 75 mph (120 kph) with higher gusts.  Flossie is expected to weaken to tropical-storm strength later today.  Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km).

The National Hurricane Center said that re-strengthening is possible later this week, and Flossie is forecast to become a hurricane again in a few days.

For forecast updates, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov.

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

July 30, 2019 – NASA Finds Flossie’s Center Just North of Coldest Cloud Tops

Cloud top temperatures provide information to forecasters about where the strongest storms are located within a tropical cyclone. NASA’s Aqua satellite took Tropical Storm Flossie’s cloud top temperatures to get that information.

NASA’s Aqua satellite analyzed the storm on July 29, at 6:35 a.m. EDT (1035 UTC) using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument. The stronger the storms, the higher they extend into the troposphere, and they have the colder cloud temperatures.

AIRS found coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) south of the center. At 11 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center analyzed infrared data and said, “Flossie’s low-level center has migrated southward toward the strongest convection and is positioned just north of the coldest cloud tops.”

Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 12.2 degrees north and longitude 119.3 degrees west. That puts the center of Flossie about 965 miles (1,550 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Flossie is moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 kph) and a turn to the west-northwest is expected later today. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1001 millibars (29.56 inches).

Flossie is expected to strengthen to a hurricane later today, and then is forecast to become a major hurricane Wednesday night.

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

July 29, 2019 – NASA Takes Tropical Storm Flossie’s Temperature

NASA’s Aqua satellite took the temperature of Tropical Storm Flossie as it continued to strengthen and organize in the Eastern Pacific.

Tropical Depression 7E formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, July 28 about 580 miles (930 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. On July 29 at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was renamed Flossie.

Infrared light enables NASA to take the temperatures of clouds and thunderstorms that make up tropical cyclones. The stronger the storms are indicate that they extend high into the troposphere and have cold cloud top temperatures.

An infrared look at Flossie by NASA’s Aqua satellite on June 29, at 0459 UTC (0859 UTC) revealed where the strongest storms were located within the system. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite analyzed Flossie and found cloud top temperatures of strongest thunderstorms as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) circling the center. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain.

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center or NHC noted, “A series of fortuitous microwave images was helpful in locating the center of circulation and revealed significant banding improvements in the south semicircle portion of the cyclone.”

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 12.5 degrees north and 114.6 degrees west longitude. Flossie is far from land areas, so there are no coastal watches in effect. Flossie’s center is about 780 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.

NHC said Flossie is moving toward the west near 18 mph (30 kph) and this general motion is forecast to continue through Tuesday night, July 30. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph (85 kph) with higher gusts.

Further strengthening is expected, and Flossie is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday.

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center