Just curious

[sma10]

In the past, when dry air impeded the development of tropical cyclones we used to say, "cyclone development is being inhibited by dry air." We used to say that all the way up until the year 2004.

How come this year, dry air has become Saharan Air Layer (SAL)? In my entire lifetime, I have yet to see one single storm discussion put out by the NHC use the term SAL for dry air.

Just asking.....

[du1st]

Because a met on the board used that turm and the dry air is coming from the sahara.

[ericinmia]

The NHC has talked about SAL in their discussions... i would say on a yearly basis. Different weather patterns over the europe/north africa causes the SAL to be worse this year.
-Eric

[sma10]

Because a met on the board used that turm

Ah..well that explains it.

[jasons2k]

I think SAL and its effects on cyclones was presented at the conference last year, hence the sudden connection.

[mahicks]

In the past, when dry air impeded the development of tropical cyclones we used to say, "cyclone development is being inhibited by dry air." We used to say that all the way up until the year 2004.

How come this year, dry air has become Saharan Air Layer (SAL)? In my entire lifetime, I have yet to see one single storm discussion put out by the NHC use the term SAL for dry air.

Just asking.....

Here Ya Go................

000
AXNT20 KNHC 071759
TWDAT

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
205 PM EDT THU JUL 07 2005

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHEASTERN SECTIONS
OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM
THE EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON
SATELLITE IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND
METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH
1715 UTC.

<snip>

WINDS AND NUMEROUS SQUALLS TO DEVELOP OVER THE SRN BAHAMAS AND W
OF THE BAHAMAS TONIGHT THROUGH SAT. FARTHER E...A MID-OCEANIC
UPPER LOW IS CENTERED 500 NM NE OF THE NRN LEEWARD ISLANDS NEAR
22N55W BUT IS SURROUNDED BY EXTENSIVE DRY AIR AND IS CAUSING NO
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER. A LARGE UPPER HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE E
ATLC NEAR 21N26W WITH RIDGE EXTENDING W TO 16N50W. A SWATH OF
[b]DRY SAHARAN AIR AND WIDESPREAD DUST EXTENDS S OF A LINE FROM
25N15W 17N40W 16N50W TO THE ITCZ.[/b]

[vbhoutex]

Because a met on the board used that turm and the dry air is coming from the sahara.

WRONG!!!!! Don't post about something you know nothing about!!! The SAL has been around and discussed since before S2K was born. And if this was meant to be a funny post-IT WASN'T!!!

[mahicks]

Because a met on the board used that turm and the dry air is coming from the sahara.

Who was the Met that used this first????

[vbhoutex]

Because a met on the board used that turm and the dry air is coming from the sahara.

Who was the Met that used this first????

It wasn't used here 1st. See my post above. Du1st has only been a member here for a few weeks so there is no way he could know the information he posted about.

[boca]

Hey Vbhoutex has Sal been used as a term in the 60's era or more recently like the 1980"or 90"s?

[clfenwi]

No newer than 1976

Diaz, H. F., T. N. Carlson, and J. M. Prospero, 1976: A
study of the structure and dynamics of the Saharan
air layer over the northern equatorial Atlantic during
BOMEX. National Hurricane and Experimental
Meteorology Laboratory NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL
WMPO-32, 61 pp

...

Carlson, Toby N., Prospero, Joseph M.
The Large-Scale Movement of Saharan Air Outbreaks over the Northern Equatorial Atlantic
Journal of Applied Meteorology 1972 11: 283-297 uses the term also. Citations in that article suggest that the term may go back as far as 1968...