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Tropical Tropical Storm Kirk

GaWx

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Invest 99L, the system metwannabe mentioned in the general models thread as developing on the 12Z ICON just E of the Lesser Antilles in ~a week, is now just off Africa at a VERY low latitude of 6.3N.

The 12Z GFS is similar but keeps this weak and weakens it further to a ghost near PR before something apparently related to this redevelops in the Bahamas 10/5 before going up the E coast of FL as a TDish low on 10/7 below a stubborn and expansive NE US high. This exact solution is unimportant but this does give an idea of what this might do and when it might do it. So, for the SE US, whereas this doesn’t suggest betting on a threat, this does suggest to not bet the ranch on there being no TC threat around 10/7.

The threat in the 1st week in Oct to the CONUS is typically much greater coming from the W Caribbean and then through the Gulf but there have been some hits that have come directly off the Atlantic then (example Matthew of 2016) mainly I assume when ridging was stubborn to the north near the NE US. This is not out of the realm of reasonable possibilities considering the recent pattern, which may be partially related to the very warm SST anomalies in the middle latitudes of theAtlantic.
 
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It's certainly been a while since I've seen a low rider like this, the low-level easterly steering flow will make it difficult for Kirk to intensify after 48 hours but if it can survive the trek and make it into either the Western Caribbean or SW Atlantic beyond day 7 or so, it will have a shot to be a legitimate threat to someone down the road (even if it's not the US).

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It's certainly been a while since I've seen a low rider like this, the low-level easterly steering flow will make it difficult for Kirk to intensify after 48 hours but if it can survive the trek and make it into either the Western Caribbean or SW Atlantic beyond day 7 or so, it will have a shot to be a legitimate threat to someone down the road (even if it's not the US).

View attachment 6525
Interesting.... few models ever developed it and none this early. Hmmm

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The CMC would be a Carolina express.

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It's certainly been a while since I've seen a low rider like this, the low-level easterly steering flow will make it difficult for Kirk to intensify after 48 hours but if it can survive the trek and make it into either the Western Caribbean or SW Atlantic beyond day 7 or so, it will have a shot to be a legitimate threat to someone down the road (even if it's not the US).

View attachment 6525
I guess we have a while to monitor, but with more and more cold fronts coming farther south, if this gets into the gulf, it could get pulled into the SE!?
 
View attachment 6526
I guess we have a while to monitor, but with more and more cold fronts coming farther south, if this gets into the gulf, it could get pulled into the SE!?

If the GFS is right, what cold fronts? The location and strength of the big ridge will determine where it goes. If it gets into the west or central carribbean, its game over if the ridge is modeled correctly.
 
The 0Z Sun GEFS is far more active with Kirk in the SW Atlantic with both stronger members as well as a good bit larger number of relatively strong members going W of 60W than was any prior GEFS run fwiw. Whereas prior runs had at most very few sub 1003 mb members among the 21, this run has about half that get near or lower than 990 mb (potential H strength). About half the members recurve E of 60W but about half of the ones that don’t get recurve then subsequently get caught underneath a big NE US surface high and get close to or hit the SE US in early Oct including 2 Hs and a weaker member either hitting or getting close to FL. One goes into the GOM as a H.
 
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I don't believe Kirk is going to make it too far. As with most storms that have traveled the southern route this year, Kirk will meet its demise once it encounters the persistent shear that's been in that area all summer.

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The model consensus is telling me that as long as Kirk doesn’t move W to WNW just N of the Greater Antilles, the CONUS will likely not be affected by Kirk directly as the Caribbean would likely keep him weak and well north of the Antilles would likely recurve well east of the CONUS.
 
The model consensus is telling me that as long as Kirk doesn’t move W to WNW just N of the Greater Antilles, the CONUS will likely not be affected by Kirk directly as the Caribbean would likely keep him weak and well north of the Antilles would likely recurve well east of the CONUS.

The 12Z CDN ensemble members illustrate the above idea well about the highest risk to the CONUS being within the corridor just N of the Greater Antilles.
 
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I'm not entirely confident that Tropical Storm Kirk's low level center has been closed & well defined for the last day or so nor that it even has one now. Strong easterly trades are making it difficult for Kirk to attain earth relative westerlies & there's an argument to be had that he's only a tropical wave atm.
 
Even if Kirk technically has a closed low level center, its rather poor & generally diffusive convective organization could warrant a downgrade to a tropical wave axis.
 
From the NHC's 5am discussion: "... earlier ASCAT data and low
cloud motion suggest that the circulation resembles a sharp trough
instead of a closed low that is necessary for a tropical cyclone."
 
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