Live and Direct

stormgasm:

Video of Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas

If you live anywhere on the coastline from North Carolina to Rhode Island you should read the below regarding the impacts Hurricane Irene may have on you this weekend. Irene is a very large storm and is capable of causing some serious damage all over.

Track forecast for Irene

The models have edged their tracks westwards in the last cycle of runs, and there are no longer any models suggesting that Irene will miss hitting the U.S. The threat to eastern North Carolina has increased, with several of our top models now suggesting a landfall slightly west of the Outer Banks is likely, near Morehead City. After making landfall on the North Carolina coast Saturday afternoon or evening, Irene is likely to continue almost due north, bringing hurricane conditions to the entire mid-Atlantic coast, from North Carolina to Long Island, New York. This makes for a difficult forecast, since a slight change in Irene’s track will make a huge difference in where hurricane conditions will be felt. If Irene stays inland over eastern North Carolina, like the ECMWF and GFDL models are predicting, this will knock down the storm’s strength enough so that it may no longer be a hurricane once it reaches New Jersey. On the other hand, if Irene grazes the Outer Banks and continues northwards into New Jersey, like the GFS model is predicting, this could easily be a Category 2 hurricane for New Jersey and Category 1 hurricane for New York City. A more easterly track into Long Island would likely mean a Category 2 landfall there.

Category 2 landfalls may not sound that significant, since Hurricane Bob of 1991 made landfall over Rhode Island as a Category 2, and did only $1.5 billion in damage (1991 dollars), killing 17. But Irene is a far larger and more dangerous storm than Bob. The latest wind analysis from NOAA/HRD puts Irene’s storm surge danger at 4.8 on a scale of 0 to 6, equivalent to a borderline Category 3 or 4 hurricane’s storm surge. Bob had a much lower surge potential, due to its smaller size, and the fact it was moving at 32 mph when it hit land. Irene will be moving much slower, near 18 mph, which will give it more time to pile up a big storm surge. The slower motion also means Irene’s surge will last longer, and be more likely to be around during high tide. Sunday is a new moon, and tides will be at their highest levels of the month during Sunday night’s high tide cycle. Tides at The Battery in New York City (Figure 3) will be a full foot higher than they were during the middle of August. Irene will expand in size as it heads north, and we should expect its storm surge to be one full Saffir-Simpson Category higher than the winds would suggest.

Hurricane Irene will be a Category 4 storm (131-155mph winds) sometime tomorrow and by the time it makes it’s way to OBX it will still be a Cat 3.

Long Island, keep your eyes open. This weekend is going to be pretty messy and there is still the potential of Irene making landfall on Long Island as a Category 1 or 2 storm.

It’s hot!

It’s hotter in NYC than it is in Puerto Rico right now!

jstn:

Speaking of weather data, WeatherSpark looks like an awesome new site.

This is really cool!

Jim Cantore loves weather!

jtotheizzoe:

NASA took a picture a few hours ago of the winter storm that is ruining your life if you live on the East coast.

NASA - Major Winter Storm Takes Aim at Central U.S.

(via fuckyeahweather)

This satellite image was captured on Jan. 27 at 10:55 a.m. EST (15:55 UTC). Much of the Eastern U.S. is still partially cloudy, but the snow on the ground is visible between the breaks in the clouds. Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team.

(via NASA)

jstn:

radarmatic:

New theme: “Winter”

(Click the little i on the control panel to change themes.)

NWS is saying 8-12 inches of snow for NYC by tomorrow morning :)

Winter

It is not warm outside.

b-darzzz:

Little Ice Age.

Every state in the lower 48 except for Florida has snow on the ground.

jhonysleepy:

“From The News12 Weather Center…..The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER STORM WARNING for BROOKLYN, NASSAU COUNTY, QUEENS and SUFFOLK COUNTY, effective through WED at 6:00 PM……Stay tuned right here for up-to-the-minute Long Island weather information….”

“between 8-to15 inches for the Suffolk county”

(Source: jhonys)

Another winter storm that isn’t going to bring us any waves. What gives!?