What is this dry band wrapping the eye on radar?

[NateFLA]

What is going on? I'm seeing it on both KTBW and KBYX... its like Dennis is wrapping the eye (at least the E->N side) with dry air.

Am I seeing things?

[PurdueWx80]

The storm is too far from any radar to see the inner core of the storm. We are only seeing the very top of the clouds around the eye - and it will be quite a while before it comes within range of the western FL, Mobile and New Orleans radars.

[NateFLA]

Okay, I understand that, but it showed up on visible sat, KTBW and KBYX at the same time...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT ... VIS/20.jpg

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p ... ktbw.shtml

[Wthrman13]

What is going on? I'm seeing it on both KTBW and KBYX... its like Dennis is wrapping the eye (at least the E->N side) with dry air.

Am I seeing things?

I assume you are talking about the extended base reflectivity display. If so, that dry air you are seeing may actually be a result of internal dynamics of the hurricane, specifically the possible development of concentric eyewalls, with the dry air being the "moat" between the inner and outer eyewalls. However, as PurdueWx80 says, the radar beam is also getting increasingly higher above the surface at that range, so you are not seeing any of the low-level structure with those radar images.

The storm is too far from any radar to see the inner core of the storm. We are only seeing the very top of the clouds around the eye - and it will be quite a while before it comes within range of the western FL, Mobile and New Orleans radars.

Well, you can still clearly see the inner core of Dennis on the extended BR display on both the Key West and Tampa radars currently, it's just at a significant altitude above the surface (not sure how high off the top of my head).

[NateFLA]

I assume you are talking about the extended base reflectivity display. If so, that dry air you are seeing may actually be a result of internal dynamics of the hurricane, specifically the possible development of concentric eyewalls, with the dry air being the "moat" between the inner and outer eyewalls. However, as PurdueWx80 says, the radar beam is also getting increasingly higher above the surface at that range, so you are not seeing any of the low-level structure with those radar images.

That makes perfect sense whe one cosiders the possibilty of concentric eyewalls.

Thanks!

[Ixolib]

On the WV, it seems there's not a whole lot of "unfriendly" dry air to the west. In fact, in the central gulf, well west of the center, I see (I think) several thunderstorms popping up...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-wv-loop.html

[mahicks]

On the WV, it seems there's not a whole lot of "unfriendly" dry air to the wast. In fact, in the central gulf, well wast of the center, I see (I think) several thunderstorms popping up...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-wv-loop.html

That last frame of the link has a perfect almost beautiful eyewall