Could Frances be getting stronger now?

[slosh]

The circulation around the center of Frances looks like it is getting tighter, Is it possible that it could actually become better organized even though it is still over land? Or is it because I have been starring at it for days??

[PurdueWx80]

LOL - while it's unlikely to strengthen over land, it isn't impossible. Gaston did strengthen once it got back to the flatter coastal plains of the Mid-Atlantic. Those feeder bands have been strengthening once they go over the GOM, which is to be expected. That should help it "feel" the warm water and pull it down towards Tampa Bay and/or the Gulf. These storms love water, and will stay over it as long as possible. Do you guys remember how Charley's eye steered directly over the Bay that Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda is on? We'll have to see a big blowup of deep, cold convection overnight for a lot of strengthening to occur. Still, much of the storm's circulation will be over the peninsula for a majority of the night, so that will introduce less moisture into the storm than if they were all over water.

[PTrackerLA]

Frances is about 2 hours from being offshore again and it looks to be heading almost due West on visible satellite. Also I've noticed how the high clouds have really jutted out to the west in advance of Frances. If this trend continues, Frances could be closer to MS/AL for landfall rather than the panhandle.

[wxman57]

Deep convection is decreasing very rapidly and pressure is rising - not a sign of strengthening. I have been unable to find any observations of over 50 mph in the past 3 hours around Frances. Radar suggests max surface winds near 50 mph to the west of the center. And, remember, only the center of Frances will be offshore tonight/tomorrow morning. Much of the circulation will remain over land. So it'll be difficult for it to get back to a hurricane before landfall, which will occur about 12 hours after it moves offshore.

[ohiostorm]

It is ALIVE!!!