Difference tropical vs Hybrid storm?

[bucman1]

Can somebody please tell me the main difference between Tripical and Hybrid storm. we have been hearing that this may be a hybrid storm but can the destruction be almost as bad?

[Macrocane]

Can somebody please tell me the main difference between Tripical and Hybrid storm. we have been hearing that this may be a hybrid storm but can the destruction be almost as bad?

A fully tropical system has the strongest convection and winds around the center and it gets its energy from the water vapor of the warm waters. An extratropical system gets its energy from the difference of pressure and temperature between two different air masses and is realted to cold and warm fronts. An hybrid system maybe a subtropical cyclone or a tropical cyclone transitioning to extratropical and this last case is what Ida may be by the time of landfall.

[NEXRAD]

Hi Bucman1,

As Masocane explained, a hybrid tropical storm (or tropical cyclone) is a tropical system that is transitioning to a non-tropical low. Basically, it's a stage when a warm-cored tropical cyclone begins to turn into a cold-cored extra tropical low.

Tropical storms and hybrid storms both bring potential for hazardous and damaging weather, but in somewhat different ways. A true tropical storm has the potential to strengthen more than (most) hybrid storms. This isn't to say that hybrid storms cannot become quite powerful. For example, non-tropical Nor'Easters have produced hurricane-force winds at times and the Superstorm of 1993 produced hurricane force wind gusts across most of Florida. Another difference between the two types of systems is that a true tropical storm/hurricane will tend to have its strongest winds concentrated close to the storm center. A hybrid system typically will have its strongest winds located well away from the center. North Atlantic hybrid systems usually have their strongest winds located well north and east of the given storm's center. Because hybrid storms usually have much larger areas of high winds than do most tropical cyclones, hybrid storms can still generate dangerous seas and possible storm surge. The storm surge potential, however, is highly dependent on the exact storm, its track, and its intensity. Finally, there is evidence to support that hybrid tropical systems may be much more dangerous in terms of tornado potential than typical tropical storms. See Bart Hagemeyer's (NWS Melbourne) research for some literature to support this.

To conclude... a hybrid system won't likely be as devastating as a direct hit by a major hurricane, but the effects in terms of wind and even surge can be very similar to any tropical storm (or in some cases even a weak hurricane). The tornado threat, though, may be greater with a hybrid system according to some studies.

- Jay
South Florida

[artist]

Hi Bucman1,

As Masocane explained, a hybrid tropical storm (or tropical cyclone) is a tropical system that is transitioning to a non-tropical low. Basically, it's a stage when a warm-cored tropical cyclone begins to turn into a cold-cored extra tropical low.

Tropical storms and hybrid storms both bring potential for hazardous and damaging weather, but in somewhat different ways. A true tropical storm has the potential to strengthen more than (most) hybrid storms. This isn't to say that hybrid storms cannot become quite powerful. For example, non-tropical Nor'Easters have produced hurricane-force winds at times and the Superstorm of 1993 produced hurricane force wind gusts across most of Florida. Another difference between the two types of systems is that a true tropical storm/hurricane will tend to have its strongest winds concentrated close to the storm center. A hybrid system typically will have its strongest winds located well away from the center. North Atlantic hybrid systems usually have their strongest winds located well north and east of the given storm's center. Because hybrid storms usually have much larger areas of high winds than do most tropical cyclones, hybrid storms can still generate dangerous seas and possible storm surge. The storm surge potential, however, is highly dependent on the exact storm, its track, and its intensity. Finally, there is evidence to support that hybrid tropical systems may be much more dangerous in terms of tornado potential than typical tropical storms. See Bart Hagemeyer's (NWS Melbourne) research for some literature to support this.

To conclude... a hybrid system won't likely be as devastating as a direct hit by a major hurricane, but the effects in terms of wind and even surge can be very similar to any tropical storm (or in some cases even a weak hurricane). The tornado threat, though, may be greater with a hybrid system according to some studies.

- Jay
South Florida

Jay, thanks for that excellent description - one that I an amateur can even understand!

[brunota2003]

Can somebody please tell me the main difference between Tripical and Hybrid storm. we have been hearing that this may be a hybrid storm but can the destruction be almost as bad?

Also, from the NHC's FAQ (probably much the same info as above):
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A6.html

A sub-tropical cyclone is a low-pressure system existing in the tropical or subtropical latitudes (anywhere from the equator to about 50°N) that has characteristics of both tropical cyclones and mid-latitude (or extratropical) cyclones. Therefore, many of these cyclones exist in a weak to moderate horizontal temperature gradient region (like mid-latitude cyclones), but also receive much of their energy from convective clouds (like tropical cyclones). Often, these storms have a radius of maximum winds which is farther out (on the order of 100-200 km [60-125 miles] from the center) than what is observed for purely "tropical" systems. Additionally, the maximum sustained winds for sub-tropical cyclones have not been observed to be stronger than about 33 m/s (64 kts, 74 mph)).