Ana now a Tropical Storm

[Bosonic]

Source: WITN

A tropical storm warning is in effect for coastal Carteret and Onslow County. A tropical storm warning means within the next 36 hours, tropical storm winds, heavy downpours and rough sea conditions are expected.

The tropical storm warning is from Cape Lookout to the south Santee River in South Carolina. The system is expected to deliver 2 to 4 inches of rain over the weekend with a few isolated locations receiving 4 to 6 inches of rain.

Tropical Storm Ana

Tropical Storm Ana was located about 160 miles south of Atlantic Beach, with 60 mph sustained winds. The storm's movement is north-northwest at 3 mph with a central pressure of 998 mb. The storm was centered at 32.4N, 77.6W as of 5:00 am Saturday. The storm should continue a slow movement to the north-northwest then north on Sunday. This will bring the system inland near the North Carolina - South Carolina line Sunday.

Seas will be 4 to 8 feet through the weekend with a high rip current risk.

Read more: http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Coastal-low-off-Georgia-could-strengthen-and-impact-Eastern-Carolina-302764531.html

[TexasProgresive]

1. And to think yesterday Ana was a subtropical storm

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026641214
Star Member steve2470 (26,606 posts) Fri May 8, 2015, 09:44 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026641214
Subtropical Storm Ana Drifting in Atlantic Off US Coast
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/08/us/ap-tropical-weather-ana.html?_r=0

MIAMI — The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is meandering in the Atlantic off the U.S. southeastern coast Friday after forming nearly a month before the season officially begins.

Subtropical Storm Ana's maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 kph) with slight strengthening forecast during the next day or so.

Will these meteorologists settle on what she is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical_cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone.[1]

As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National Hurricane Center in 1972. Subtropical cyclones began to receive names from the official tropical cyclone lists in the North Atlantic hurricane basin and the southwest Indian ocean.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Alot of it has to do with the temperatures

associated with the storm. Otherwise, every Nor'easter out in the Atlantic (including ones that form blizzards here in Philly) would be a "tropical storm". Cut-off Lows out in the Atlantic often occur, but depending on the sea temps and upper air temps (which can obviously fluctuate) and the winds and circulation around the core (and whether the circulation is sheared or organized), it can be defined as any number of things (not unlike tornadoes versus straight-line winds versus derechos).

Of course because of public perceptions - and this was the primary issue with Hurricane Sandy (which became extra-tropical before making landfall), the "concept" of "hurricane" versus "storm" is so ingrained, that anything other than a "hurricane" tends to get dismissed - even if you call it a "super storm" and even if the winds are literally just under hurricane strength (which is still bad).

[TexasProgresive]

3. Thanks for the explanation

I'm still curious why it was called sub-tropical when named and now is called a tropical storm. From my understanding it is one or the other not both and one cannot become the other.

Sorry for the rant on semantics but I have this stupid idea that using the correct words leads to good communication.

Edited to add- so it seems I was bloviating about what I don't know, this from a CNN piece:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/08/weather/subtropical-storm-ana-georgia-carolina/index.html
(CNN)Ana was spawned off the coast of Georgia on Thursday as the first named storm of the 2015 Atlantic tropical storm season.

Ana is a subtropical storm, being less compact and less likely to become a hurricane than a tropical storm. She's not packing anything close to hurricane force gales, but instead a stiff breeze of 45 mph maximum sustained winds, according to the National Weather

And this from Accuweather:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/ana-tropical-system-atlantic-us-east-coast-north-south-carolina-rough-surf-rain/46764807
Tropical Storm Ana has formed off the southern Atlantic coast of the United States, making it the first named tropical system of the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Ana was first classified as a subtropical, or hybrid storm, having some warm, tropical features and some cool, non-tropical features.

However, early Saturday morning, Ana strengthened and transitioned to a tropical storm.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. It's the same reason why

a "tropical storm" can become a "hurricane" or even a "tropical rain storm". The storm "changes characteristics" (sea surface temps, upper air temps, wind speeds, circulation) to have it fall into or transition to a different category. The NWS has certain criteria to define each - just like the the wind speed ranges for the Fujita scale that defines tornadoes as "F1" or "F5", etc. They periodically fly planes into the storm to get the upper air data and then make a determination...

http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/

And yes - the "scientific" definitions often run counter to public perceptions... mainly because of the lay media attempting to "translate" what the data means in terms of what the public should do. It's always that struggle to find some sort of balance between something calling for "be on alert" or "be cautious" or there will be "little or no impact" (which sometimes gets translated into "hysteria" or "ignore this&quot .

[fredamae]

6. Heh..I wonder how will the

Bans (Limiting Free Speech-IOKIYAR) for Talking About Global Warming/Climate Change work after the Next Bad Storm pushes the ocean Higher and further Inland than ever before work out?

[ablamj]

7. Ana

Kasparian