A Few Notes on Hurricane Sally at 5:15 p.m.

Hurricane Sally’s rapid intensification this morning may have actually stalled the intensification process. The hurricane drew in some drier air, temporarily halting the process.

That process has continued this afternoon which seems to be choking off thunderstorms from really getting going around the center.

The latest recon pass through the storm is finding surface pressures around 986 millibars with surface winds around 76 knots. This is in the northwestern quadrant. We should have a vortex data report soon.

This last fix looks like the center has been almost stationary in the past two hours or so.

The official track carries the center of the hurricane to just west of the Mississippi border around midnight tomorrow night beginning a northeast turn. This could put Mobile in the eyewall in the 4-8 a.m. time frame Wednesday morning.

We can’t fixate on a single point though and have to remember that the error cone says that the center could make landfall anywhere between the Mouth of the Mississippi river and Pensacola.

Some coastal observations:

Viosca Knoll Oil Platform (70 miles south of Fort Morgan) repoorting a gust of 86.0 knots (99 mph) from ENE @ 5 p.m.
KVOA 142200Z AUTO 06079G86KT M1/4SM FG OVC003 24/23 A2948 RMK A01 P0004
This anemometer is probably att about 90 feet elevation.

Main Pass east of the Mouth of the Mississippi River reporting gusts to 48 mph.

Tyndall AFB Panama City reporting E 18 G 26 mph with Light Rain. Pressure 1011 mb.
Destin/Fort Walton: Cloudy, 78F/73F, E 14 G 28 mph, Pressure 1011 mb
Pensacola NAS: Light Rain, 78F/73F. NE 22 G 34 mph, Pressure 1010 mb
Brookley Field Mobile: Partly Cloudy, 81F/74F, NE 21 G 33 mph, Pressure 1011 mb
New Orleans International: Partly Cloudy, 85F/74F, NNE 12 G 25 mph, Pressure 1011 mb

Category: ALL POSTS, Tropical