SAL

[mascpa]

I've been coming to this site for three years now, and other sites before that and I can't recall ever hearing/reading the term "SAL" before this year,actually just the last couple of weeks. I had heard the term dry air but never "SAL". Is this a new term, or is my memory failing now that I've hit 50? Thanks!

[chadtm80]

Old age is a bear sorry.. SAL is not a new term

[clfenwi]

Same question got asked a few days ago: see

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... +air+layer

where I hunted down some early references to the term.

This article (which I think some version thereof was presented at an AMS conference) is what raised its profile:

Dunion, Jason P., Velden, Christopher S.
The Impact of the Saharan Air Layer on Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 2004 85: 353-365

[Air Force Met]

Here's some links to posts from 2004...

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... hlight=sal

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... hlight=sal

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... hlight=sal

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... hlight=sal

[Stormcenter]

My pal SAL.

[JTD]

Just a tip for everyone, try and track the times in which there is a SAL outbreak. You'll quickly find a coorelation between SAL and anohter factor if you watch closely enough

What is that other factor?

[Aquawind]

From NHC FAQ.

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A17.html



Paul

[Patrick99]

I still think the "SAL" is very overrated in terms of a tropics killer. It happens every year. There may be a lot of dry air inhibiting systems from forming further out....but the REAL killer, I think, has been the upper level shear these developing systems are encountering as they approach the islands, as the dry air lessens its grip.

That's the only thing stopping this year from being another 1933, IMO.