Oh Goodie. Tropical Storm Gamma.

[Virgo10]

Will this tropical season ever end??!!

 

[bsnyder]

I just saw this. I'm speechless. Who'd have ever thought we'd really see a storm named Gamma....

 

[Virgo10]

Yeah, no kidding. And just a slight update on that map... The hurricane hunters did a fly through the system around 5 p.m. and found it was slightly stronger than that map indicated. Top winds are around 45 mph.

Swell.

 

[thelittlemermaid]

When I read the name I had to laugh. I know Tropical storms are no laughing matter, but when my mom was alive, that is what DS called her, Gamma. I also called my grandma by that name.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

Atleast from first indication, it looks like this will probably stay as a tropical storm. Obviously nobody knows for sure, but I think we all knew that before hurricane season was over, we would see atleast one more storm.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I can't believe this. When will it END!!!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I can't believe this. When will it END!!!!!

Even worse. May 1 is only about 6 1/2 months away.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That turkey needs to just dissipate!

 

[Mom2Ashli]

This really is getting old.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

This really is getting old.

Well on a positive note--since we are going to see the newest member of the clan (1st cousin for my girls), I can now say that my evacuation plans are in place.


Always got to look at the bright side.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Well on a positive note--since we are going to see the newest member of the clan (1st cousin for my girls), I can now say that my evacuation plans are in place.


Always got to look at the bright side.

DD's school had a can food drive this past week for the homeless. Well everyone was talking about donating all of their Hurricane food. That is what I did.

 

[Brianne]

Ugh.

Here's hoping it stays small. Bad enough my kids are home for 3 days next week. I can't handle the idea of more days!

 

[Beth76]

So how bad is a tropical storm? I can't believe how close the path looks to Wilma. It's actually closer to Mexico than Wilma was first predicted.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So how bad is a tropical storm? I can't believe how close the path looks to Wilma. It's actually closer to Mexico than Wilma was first predicted.

We had tropical storm winds from Wilma---it gets pretty darn blustery and you aren't supposed to drive in it. Conditions are unsafe for being outside--though they still had people driving in it. My county had 3 or 4 tornados b/c of Wilma as well. So that is the other danger with the winds. With Wilma--she ran into a cold front and that was responsible for the tornado activity (at lesat here).

 

[Buzzlvr31]

I'm not too thrilled about Gamma either, BTW. If you look closely at the forecast track, it eerily resembles the track of Wilma, and that's SCARY!!!!!!

That's just what us S. Floridians need after Wilma's Wrath - the arrival of Tropical Storm Gamma!!!!

Please, Gamma, just dissipate and die someplace, we got enough storms this year!!!!!! Yeesh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jekajekalynn]

Great..... My dm and aunt are supposed be comming back from a 10 day cruise this weekend....

 

[BWVDenise]

Ugh! My parents and brother are headed to Cancun tomorrow!

 

[soccercruiser87]

Heres the latest expert summary from www.accuweather.com...After reading it, it seems that if Gamma makes landfall in Belize, that it will start to fall apart and not threaten Florida as a strong storm, hopefully that is what happens.


Today's Discussion
Gamma has formed in the Northwest Caribbean
Posted: 18-NOV-2005 8:09pm EST

By Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski



Tropical Storm Gamma is located near 16.2 north...85.7 west or 180 miles east-southeast of Belize City, Belize. Maximum sustained winds are at 45 mph. Gamma is moving west-northwest at 4 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles north and northeast of the storm's center. The central pressure is 1006 millibars or 29.71 inches.



Gamma should continue to intensify Friday night and into Saturday. The storm will reach a point very close to the coast of Belize on Saturday. If Gamma makes landfall along the coast of Belized then it will weaken. However, if Gamma moves slow and then turns more north as some computer models are suggesting then it will stay over water and will have the opportunity to strenghten further. Water temperatures over the Gulf of Honduras and the northwest Caribbean are warm enough for Gamma to intensify but not as warm as they were when Willma was around a few weeks ago. Therefore it is unlikely that Gamma will become a real strong system. However, if Gamma can stay over water during the next couple of days and have only minimal interation with the coastline it could strengthen to near hurricane force. The track that Gamma takes is highly dependent on the orientation and strength of an upper level trough that will swing down into the Gulf of Mexico during tomorrow night and Sunday. Current thinking is that a high pressure ridge to the north will cause Gamma to move slowly west northwest tonight into tomorrow. Then this ridge will start to weaken as one upper level trough swings across the northwest Gulf tomorrow then the stronger trough starts to dive southward during tomorrow night. In response to this weakening Gamma will start to move northwest then north during later tomorrow and tomorrow night. This thinking takes Gamma through the Yucatan Straits on Sunday then northeast across south Florida on Monday.



If Gamma keeps moving west northwest and does not make the turn to the northwest then north it will make landfall along the coast of Belieze sometime tomorrow. If that happens then Gamma could weaken to the point where it would start to fall apart. Some computer model output suggests this might happen and that Gamma or the remnants of Gamma will drift eastward. So, there is a lot of uncertainty at this point on the strength and movement of Gamma.



We believe moisture from Gamma will help enhance rainfall over Florida and into the Southeast U.S. as another storm, non tropical, develops over the northeast Gulf and southeast U.S. during Sunday. That storm should stay independent from Gamma and even if Gamma does track close to or over south Florida it will still stay a separate feature as it heads into the western Atlantic just off the eastern U.S. coast Monday night and Tuesday. Beyond Tuesday it should become a non tropical system.



We are still keeping an eye on the upper level low located roughly near 24 north and 54 west. This system remains near warm enough water to become an organized tropical feature over the weekend. However, satellite images show no trend toward this just yet. If thunderstorms start forming around the center of this system that could be a sign that it is trying to become a tropical system.

 

[soccercruiser87]

trying to keep everyone updated, heres the latest from www.accuweather.com


TROPICAL STORM GAMMA MAY HIT SOUTHERN FLORIDA
A MAJOR EAST COAST STORM BREWING
Posted: Saturday, November 19, 2005 at 9:33 PM EST

by AccuWeather.com Sr. Meteorologist Henry Margusity


STATE COLLEGE, PA (AccuWeather.com) -- AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center meteorologists are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Gamma, which became the 24th named storm of the record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season..

Gamma is producing considerable cloudiness and shower and thunderstorm activity. 6-10" of rain is expected to fall on Belize, western Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, with 4-8" and locally higher amounts expected in northwest Honduras.

Gamma is forecast to reach the coast of Belize late tonight or early on Saturday. The storm will weaken if it makes landfall, but if it remains over water it will maintain tropical storm strength as it parallels the coast of the Yucatan peninsula through the weekend.

Tropical storm Gamma will get picked up by the trough moving into Texas and is forecasted to move across southern Florida as a tropical storm Monday. People in southern Florida should prepare for a tropical storm force winds and heavy rains, but it should not be as bad as Wilma. There is the outside chance that Gamma becomes a hurricane the next 48 hours, but shear should weaken Gamma before reaching Florida.

The implications of Gamma for the East coast of United States are major. While, we do not expect Gamma will have tropical characteristics after leaving southern Florida, the moisture and energy will be entrained into a major storm. That storm may bring heavy rains and gales to the mid-Atlantic and New England coast and heavy snows to the Appalachians from the Carolinas to new England.Over a foot of snow is possible above 2000 feet. Even the major cities from Washigton to Boston could have snow at the tail end of the storm.

 

[Poohnatic]

Beth,

Totally OT, but I take it that onion tag came from the TOV thread?

Suzanne