Sub-Tropical Storms

[mph101]

Hi,
I used be a member here but left at the end of the 04 season, yet off and on still read with interest the views, opinions, & pro meteorologist take on storms.
The thread that got locked because of NHC bashing regarding too many named storms this year had a point that I think needs to be considered.
It isn't NHC bashing but it is what has happened.
At some point and I don't know the date sub-tropical storms started getting names. I think it was either at the end of the 1980's or the beginning of the 1990's. Before then they were only given numbers. Sub-tropical storm 1 as a example.
another example would be sub-tropical alpha in 1972, followed of course by the real tropical terror Hurricane Agnes.
With the naming of so many sub-tropical storms you go through the names faster and the sub-tropical isn't generally going to match the furry of a tropical storm thus the reason it may seem like so many more storms.
Rather you agree with this or not is of course a opinion but the powers to be decided this is how it is.
My opinion is it would be better to keep the sub-tropicals numbered and not named. Its just another media fear tool when they come on and lead the news with "Good Evening and still another Tropical Storm has formed and later in the week could impact the southeast coast (Texas, Lousiana, maryland). It feeds the hype that apparantly the WC has grabbed on to.
Some of it is valid and the WC will cover the slightest weather event now and certainly Nor easter's are powerful storms that are dangerous and costly, the Nor Easter is usually a more severe threat of nature then the sub-tropical storm which seem to be more bark then bite.
I'm not sure if a numbered sub-tropical got a name if it became a warm core but many/most sub-tropicals do not become more than a hybrid

Take Care,
Mike

Mike

[RL3AO]

Subtropical storms began getting named in 2002. I'll let someone who knows what their talking about answer the rest.

[george_r_1961]

Ok im gonna take a stab at this:

The main difference between subtropical and tropical cyclones is that purely tropical systems have the strongest winds and the worst weather close to the center. Subtropical cyclones have most of the convection and the strongest winds well removed from the center, sometimes by hundreds of miles. Subtropical cyclones often form over warm sea surface temperatures from a cold core or extratropical system when convection forms close enough to the center where the latent heat released by condensation warms the core. The system often remains cold core aloft, unlike a pure tropical cyclone which has warm ridging aloft. Given a little time and the right conditions the upper cold low is replaced by a ridge and the system generates the deepest convection and the strongest winds near the center, becoming a "pure" tropical cyclone.

Why name them? To get the publics attention since there is practically no difference to the average coastal resident between a 60 mph TS and a 60 mph STS. They are equally dangerous and one would not prepare any differently.for either one. Subtropical cyclones can and do become purely tropical and a few even become hurricanes like Gustav in 2002, which coincidentally was the first named STS.

Yes I do feel that subtropical systems should continue to be named. Coastal residents who arent weather savvy arent as likely to heed warnings issued on "Subtropical Storm One" as they are on "Subtropical Storm Abby". I think the name is an attention getter.

[fci]

I think some of what you questoining is that Subtropical Storms run up the total of "named" storms.

I find it funny that there are some who are so emotionally tied into the "number" of named storms. It's like a scorecard (actually someone posts one in a "contest" they have manufactured with the EPAC.

Anyway, what is the real difference if there are 10 named storms without STS and 13 or 14 WITH STS?
Really nothing at all.

It seems like peripheral issues like the number of storms an whether an Invest gets to be a TD is as important to some people than whether a storm threatens an area or causes hardships.

If the naming of STS's helps protect lives and property since the danger is similar to a TS then I can't see the problem with it.