Dolly, Edouard Coming To Atlantic This Week? heat Dome To retreat

It appears we'll get through August without a tropical threat in the Gulf.  But models are hinting, and satellite views suggest, we might see two named storms well out in the Atlantic this week. Which one will be Dolly?  The system coming off of Africa?  Or the cluster east of Bermuda?

The Saharan Dust layer is beginning to split apart, and both systems are in between the heaviest dust layer. The system moving off Africa is still partly over land.

The system near Bermuda shows some signs of organization.  My bet is that it will become Dolly tomorrow.  We'll see, as neither system will be our concern.  The Pacific remains the hotbed of activity.

The red circles are all named storms.  Our interest this week will not be on the Tropics, but when will the heat dome break down or move away?

From what Amber Wheeler showed us this morning, the upper high pulls back to the west this week as the East Coast trough deepens.

That should result in disturbances riding down around the ridge, increasing our rain chances and making us less hot, but not right away.

There are some folks on the North Shore getting some relief.

Remember, these daily storms bring lots of lightning, gusty winds, and heavy downpours in a short period of time.  They also bring cooling temps, so let's hope for more rain.  Stay tuned!

Another Super Typhoon, Dolly Coming to Atlantic

The next 4-5 weeks are the heart (most active) of the Hurricane Season so it should come as no surprise that tropical activity Worldwide is picking up.  Let's begin in the Atlantic, where NHC is highlighting 3 areas for development.  The least likely to receive a name would appear to be the most northerly one nearing Portugal that is above 40 north latitude.

This is definitely a strong low pressure, but it is near 45 degrees north latitude and is involved with a cold front.  Never in the past (Under Bob Simpson, Neil Frank, Bob Sheets & others) would NHC give this a name.  But times have changed.  The better chances for a name should come from a system coming off of Africa or one SE of Bermuda.

There still seems to be significant Saharan Dust coming off of Africa, but models are developing something next week.

Models are not developing this small swirl SE of Bermuda, and NHC only gives it a 20% chance.  The Gulf has several clusters of storms that extend east of Florida, but there is no organization.  

The real tropical activity is in the Pacific, where there are multiple named storms.

The strongest is Typhoon Saudel that is already a Cat. 3 storm and is expected to become a Super Typhoon soon.  We still have Hurricane Lala streaming northward away from Hawaii while a much weaker Tropical Storm Moke is heading well south of the Islands.

Models are indicating more named storms are coming in the EPAC next week.

That is exactly what is supposed to happen in a strong El Nino year.  Pacific is active while the upper shear makes the Atlantic less active.  Locally, we're hot and dry, but another upper system is dropping our way.

It should give us a better rain chance tomorrow, hopefully keeping us less hot.  The FOX 8 extended doesn't say that.

So I won't whine about this heat as August is always hot.  What I will complain about is the lack of traffic law enforcement in Jefferson Parish, specifically Causeway and Veterans.  The intersection is clearly marked.

Not one, not two, but three NO LEFT TURN signs.  This view is northbound.  There were 10 cars ahead of me and EIGHT of them made illegal left turns.  The next day, same story except only 6 made the illegal turn.  The Sheriff's office says they can't commit the manpower to enforce the laws and many motorists know that.  So I say to Sheriff Lopinto. Joe, take the signs down so those of us driving legally can also make the turn instead of going to the U-turn.  Same intersection has signs saying NO TURN ON RED.  Same story, no enforcement.  End of rant.  Stay tuned!