ATL: Marco : Tropical Depression - Discussion

[jinftl]

That windfield for what would become Olga was insane!!! Olga was a subtropical system when her windfield was that large, and it did contract some as she transitioned to a tropical system...but the expanse of not only ts winds....but strong ts wind (50kt) was truly astounding.

Note the expanse of 12ft seas as well....over 1000 miles in diameter!!!

Subtropical Storm Olga's windfield at its peak size on 11/26/01:
50 KT.......550NE 60SE 60SW 360NW.
34 KT.......600NE 100SE 100SW 600NW.
12 FT SEAS..650NE 300SE 450SW 650NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/mar/al172001.fstadv.007.html

vs. Marco on 10/7/08:
50 KT....... 5NE 5SE 0SW 0NW.
34 KT....... 10NE 10SE 10SW 10NW.
12 FT SEAS.. 10NE 10SE 0SW 0NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al13/al132008.fstadv.004.shtml?

vs. Ike
Ike's windfield on 9/12/08:
64 KT.......105NE 75SE 60SW 60NW.
50 KT.......150NE 150SE 100SW 140NW.
34 KT.......240NE 200SE 150SW 180NW.
12 FT SEAS..390NE 360SE 270SW 240NW
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al09/al092008.fstadv.046.shtml?

[Ptarmigan]

That windfield for what would become Olga was insane!!! Olga was a subtropical system when her windfield was that large, and it did contract some as she transitioned to a tropical system...but the expanse of not only ts winds....but strong ts wind (50kt) was truly astounding.

Note the expanse of 12ft seas as well....over 1000 miles in diameter!!!

Subtropical Storm Olga's windfield at its peak size on 11/26/01:
50 KT.......550NE 60SE 60SW 360NW.
34 KT.......600NE 100SE 100SW 600NW.
12 FT SEAS..650NE 300SE 450SW 650NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/mar/al172001.fstadv.007.html

vs. Marco on 10/7/08:
50 KT....... 5NE 5SE 0SW 0NW.
34 KT....... 10NE 10SE 10SW 10NW.
12 FT SEAS.. 10NE 10SE 0SW 0NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al13/al132008.fstadv.004.shtml?

vs. Ike
Ike's windfield on 9/12/08:
64 KT.......105NE 75SE 60SW 60NW.
50 KT.......150NE 150SE 100SW 140NW.
34 KT.......240NE 200SE 150SW 180NW.
12 FT SEAS..390NE 360SE 270SW 240NW
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al09/al092008.fstadv.046.shtml?

I have read often that Ike is considered one of the largest hurricanes besides Carla, Gilbert, and Katrina.

[bob rulz]

That windfield for what would become Olga was insane!!! Olga was a subtropical system when her windfield was that large, and it did contract some as she transitioned to a tropical system...but the expanse of not only ts winds....but strong ts wind (50kt) was truly astounding.

Note the expanse of 12ft seas as well....over 1000 miles in diameter!!!

Subtropical Storm Olga's windfield at its peak size on 11/26/01:
50 KT.......550NE 60SE 60SW 360NW.
34 KT.......600NE 100SE 100SW 600NW.
12 FT SEAS..650NE 300SE 450SW 650NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/mar/al172001.fstadv.007.html

vs. Marco on 10/7/08:
50 KT....... 5NE 5SE 0SW 0NW.
34 KT....... 10NE 10SE 10SW 10NW.
12 FT SEAS.. 10NE 10SE 0SW 0NW.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al13/al132008.fstadv.004.shtml?

vs. Ike
Ike's windfield on 9/12/08:
64 KT.......105NE 75SE 60SW 60NW.
50 KT.......150NE 150SE 100SW 140NW.
34 KT.......240NE 200SE 150SW 180NW.
12 FT SEAS..390NE 360SE 270SW 240NW
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al09/al092008.fstadv.046.shtml?

I have read often that Ike is considered one of the largest hurricanes besides Carla, Gilbert, and Katrina.

For powerful Atlantic systems, yes, Ike is one of the largest, but there are quite a few subtropical systems and tropical systems on the verge of turning extratropical that become as large or larger.

[Squarethecircle]

For powerful Atlantic systems, yes, Ike is one of the largest, but there are quite a few subtropical systems and tropical systems on the verge of turning extratropical that become as large or larger.

Given that these storms are not entirely tropical and are or are transitioning to systems that typically have much larger wind fields, I would think that this is probably cheating. How about fully tropical systems not close to undergoing transition?

[Ptarmigan]

Given that these storms are not entirely tropical and are or are transitioning to systems that typically have much larger wind fields, I would think that this is probably cheating. How about fully tropical systems not close to undergoing transition?

I think tropical cyclones that are undergoing transition should be disregarded. If we go by that, than Hurricane Gilbert would be the largest hurricane.

[HURAKAN]

If we disregard systems transitioning into non-tropical, then I think we should disregard systems transitioning into tropical. I mean, do we only count pure tropical systems or also those in transition?

[Ptarmigan]

If we disregard systems transitioning into non-tropical, then I think we should disregard systems transitioning into tropical. I mean, do we only count pure tropical systems or also those in transition?

Fair enough. After all we do not calculate ACE for subtropical systems.

[bob rulz]

Fair enough. I think it's safe to say that Hurricane Gilbert is the largest hurricane on record in the Atlantic based on these guidelines, but Ike wasn't far off. Wilma was also very large when it was moving over Florida (long after it had peaked) wasn't it?

[Squarethecircle]

Fair enough. I think it's safe to say that Hurricane Gilbert is the largest hurricane on record in the Atlantic based on these guidelines, but Ike wasn't far off. Wilma was also very large when it was moving over Florida (long after it had peaked) wasn't it?

IIRC, Gilbert had a radius of something quite a bit over 200 (64 knots), which is something that Ike can't claim. I'm not sure about 34 or 50 knot winds.

[Ptarmigan]

ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/demaria/ebtrk/
ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/demari ... oradii.txt
ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/demari ... k_atlc.txt
ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/demari ... k_epac.txt