DONNA AND CHARLEY, what were the differences?

[rainstorm]

donna maintained as a powerful hurricane all the way up the coast and folled a very similar path the chuck once chuck turned toward fla. why did charley weaken and not donna?

[Aimless]

Donna traveled more slowly and the rainfall was much higher. I think Donna had also been a higher category storm for much longer as well.

[SouthernWx]

Donna was a much larger hurricane than Charley....and developed much farther east. The first recon flight into Donna near 14n/ 49w found 120 kt winds at flight leve...so Donna was already a major hurricane well east of the Leeward Islands.

As to why Donna re-intensified into a cat-3 and was a major cane even into SNE after weakening over Florida? Donna was moving NE over the Gulf Stream offshore South Carolina before landfall between Wilmington and Morehead City, NC...and in 1960, there was no previous hurricane (i/e/- Alex) to absorb heat from the Gulf Stream. Charley also tracked from Daytona to nr Georgetown, SC....west of the Gulf Stream over sst's only around 80-81°.
Also, the large size of Donna and fact it had been a major hurricane for over a week prior to striking Florida assisted in maintaining it's intensity. I'm honestly surprised hurricane Charley made it off the Florida east coast before the tiny core collapsed.....Charley was an extremely small hurricane, even smaller than Andrew.

Finally, I don't know how much dry air or shear was around as Donna roared NNE from NC to Long Island, NY in 1960....but there was plenty available to sap Charley's strength last night. Donna still had a closed eyewall as it roared across North Carolina (from old radar images I've seen)....Charley's eyewall was open to the south before leaving Florida last night.

[SouthernWx]

Donna was a much larger hurricane than Charley....and developed much farther east. The first recon flight into Donna near 14n/ 49w found 120 kt winds at flight leve...so Donna was already a major hurricane well east of the Leeward Islands.

As to why Donna re-intensified into a cat-3 and was a major cane even into SNE after weakening over Florida? Donna was moving NE over the Gulf Stream offshore South Carolina before landfall between Wilmington and Morehead City, NC...and in 1960, there was no previous hurricane (i/e/- Alex) to absorb heat from the Gulf Stream. Charley also tracked from Daytona to nr Georgetown, SC....west of the Gulf Stream over sst's only around 80-81°.
Also, the large size of Donna and fact it had been a major hurricane for over a week prior to striking Florida assisted in maintaining it's intensity. I'm honestly surprised hurricane Charley made it off the Florida east coast before the tiny core collapsed.....Charley was an extremely small hurricane, even smaller than Andrew.

Finally, I don't know how much dry air or shear was around as Donna roared NNE from NC to Long Island, NY in 1960....but there was plenty available to sap Charley's strength last night. Donna still had a closed eyewall as it roared across North Carolina (from old radar images I've seen)....Charley's eyewall was open to the south before leaving Florida last night.

[rainstorm]

thanks for the info

[Storminole]

Apart from the differences, some notable similarities. The eyes of both passed over Port Charlotte (Donna being on a more northward track at that point, coming from Naples to the south). Both exited at Daytona Beach. Charley may also land in New England.

What's remarkable is the SW coast of Florida was so lucky as to have NO hurricanes for 44 years. Until Jim Cantore came to town. I mean, he's a hurricane magnet, right?

[weatherluvr]

Shear was a big factor with Charley as well, with the historically strong trough screaming away just to its left.

Another factor was that Donna hit in September, when SST's were at their max, and upper-level conditions were more ideal for a coastal raker to make it all the way to SNE intact.