#1625 Postby skysummit » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:35 am
From Eglin AFB....
Tropical Storm Chris continues to exceed forecaster expectations. The latest reconnaissance aircraft pass through the center of the storm, just after 1100z this morning, found winds at 5000 feet as strong as 67 knots. Considering that as late as early Tuesday morning, the possibility was being discussed by National Hurricane Center forecasters that the system would dissipate as it moved toward the Bahamas, Chris is a surprisingly robust cyclone that may become a hurricane later today if it continues to organize. Its satellite appearance is much more symmetrical than 12 hours ago, suggesting the possibility exists of significant intensification if it were to form an eye.
The expected course of Chris (appended below the satellite image) over the next five days now puts it into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico near Key West early Monday morning. Historically, that is not good news for the north-central Gulf Coast since storms in the Gulf typically begin to bend northward at some point. The timing of that northward turn is critical to determining whether it is the Florida Panhandle, or points further to the west, that are ultimately threatened. Again, it must be stressed that this storm is still 1300 miles from Eglin and poses no threat to any spot on the northern Gulf Coast for the next 125 or more hours. Late Tuesday would be the earliest landfall opportunity in the Panhandle if it maintains its expected forward speed.
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