#778 Postby CyclonicFury » Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:25 pm
I think the strong, poleward displaced WAM may actually be delaying the start of the CV season. With the WAM so far strong, tropical waves exit Africa at a higher latitude. They are also quite amplified, making TCG during August difficult out there. If we see anything before the last week of August, it'll likely be out of the MDR. The global models currently aren't picking up on any activity during the MDR, but I'd imagine that will change at some point in the next 1-2 weeks.
2017 was a hyperactive season, but the MDR didn't have a hurricane until the last day of August (Irma). 2018 was also an above average season, but after Beryl managed to spin up in the MDR in early July, the MDR was dead until August 31 once again. The north displaced WAM may also explain why we've seen more pre-August systems since 2017, since the monsoon trough lifts northward sooner. We did have 93L this July which had a window but was unable to develop due to SAL and mid-level air, very typical of July. 96L struggled with SAL as well as its broad nature.
Normally, the MDR is most conducive in September, when the SSTs are warm enough, SAL has retreated north, and tropical waves emerge into the Atlantic. I'd say the MDR season peaks around September 5-10. However, there have been some strong hurricanes that formed in the MDR in late September, too. Perhaps the poleward displaced WAM may even allow a MDR storm to form as late as early October, like we saw with Nadine last year.
Last edited by
CyclonicFury on Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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NCSU B.S. in Meteorology Class of 2021. Tropical weather blogger at
http://www.cyclonicfury.com. My forecasts and thoughts are NOT official, for official forecasts please consult the National Hurricane Center.