 |  | | | | Hurricane Season 2007: Gabrielle (Atlantic)
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09.07.07
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Tropical Depression Gabrielle Fading in the North Atlantic
Click image for animation.
Gabrielle continues on her east-northeast track into the North Atlantic Ocean,
while still maintaining tropical depression status on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007.
At 9:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. EDT), Tropical Depression Gabrielle's center was located
near 39.0 degrees north latitude and 66.8 west longitude, about 235 miles
southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. She still had maximum sustained winds of
35 mph with higher gusts. She is moving quickly toward the east-northeast at 18
knots (21 mph) and has a minimum central pressure of 1008 millibars.
This movie of images showing Gabrielle's trek from North Carolina to open ocean
was compiled from data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite (GOES-12), which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. It was created by NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. It shows Tropical Storm Gabrielle
at North Carolina's coast on Sept. 9, and her progression back into the
Atlantic Ocean, tracking north and becoming a tropical depression, through
Sept. 11 at 13:45 UTC (9:45 a.m. EDT).
Gabrielle is expected to move with a cold front in the next day or two.
Click image for enlargement.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua
satellite acquired this photo-like image at 2:00 p.m. local time (18:00 UTC) on
September 9, 2007. The loose structure of the storm system, with only a hint of
spiral structure, and the patchy clouds show that Gabrielle was not a
particularly dangerous or powerful storm. However, the storm did have a
discernible if not dramatic eye. Here, the eye appears over Pamlico Sound,
behind the barrier of islands that forms the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Related link:
+ Higher resolution image
Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center
MODIS information from NASA's Earth Observatory
Image credit: NASA/Jesse Allen/MODIS Rapid Response
Short-Lived Gabrielle Brought Needed Rains to Eastern North Carolina Then Fled
To Sea
Click image for enlargement.
Gabrielle was a short-lived tropical storm that developed late Friday, Sept. 8,
briefly visited a very dry eastern North Carolina with rains and some gusty
winds, then headed out to sea.
By Monday morning, Sept. 10, Gabrielle was downgraded to a 30 knot (35 mph)
tropical depression. At 11:00 a.m. EDT the center of Tropical Depression
Gabrielle was located near latitude 37.1 north and longitude 73.0 west or about
330 miles (530 km) southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Gabrielle was moving toward the east-northeast near 13 mph and a turn toward the
east-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next 24
hours. On this track the storm will be moving away from the east coast of the
U.S. today. Her maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/hr) with higher
gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 millibars.
This infrared satellite image from Sunday, Sept. 9 at 17:53 UTC (1:53 p.m. EDT)
was created by data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua
satellite. At that time, Gabrielle was moving over extreme eastern North
Carolina, located about 45 miles west-southwest of Cape Hatteras, N.C. At 2:00
p.m. EDT, a wind gust to 49 mph was reported near Ocracoke and a wind gust to
45 mph was observed at Cape Hatteras.
This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the
Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated
with high, cold cloud tops associated with the lingering showers and
thunderstorms. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where
there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the
surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). This infrared image
shows some scattered areas of strong convection (rising air and heavier rain)
of the storm (in purple).
At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9, forecasters noted that coastal storm surge
flooding of 2 to 3 feet was possible within the warning area. Forecasters also
expected Gabrielle to produce total rainfall between 1 and 3 inches across the
Outer Banks and Sounds of eastern North Carolina, with isolated areas to 5
inches. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches were also forecast over extreme
southeastern Virginia near the northeastern North Carolina border.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, 1.89 inches of rain fell at Newport and Morehead City, North
Carolina, helping the dry conditions there. The area to receive the largest
amount of rainfall was Beaufort. That town received more than 8 inches of rain,
according to local reports.
What's In Store for Gabrielle?
The official forecast maintains Gabrielle as a tropical depression with
sustained winds of 30 knots for the next 2 days. Thereafter she is expected to
merge with a stronger extratropical low.
Rob Gutro (From NHC reports)
Goddard Space Flight Center
Image credit: NASA/JPL
Low-Pressure Area off U.S. East Coast May Develop This Weekend
Click image for enlargement.
At 2:05 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 7, 2007, forecasters were watching an area of low pressure in the western Atlantic Ocean for possible development into a tropical depression, or even a tropical storm, over the weekend. If it does develop into a tropical storm, it would be named Gabrielle.
The low was centered near 29 degrees north latitude and 70 degrees west longitude, about 340 nautical miles southwest of Bermuda and 560 nautical miles east of Daytona Beach, Fla. Its minimum central pressure was 1012 millibars.
Upper-level winds are becoming increasingly favorable for additional development and a tropical depression or tropical storm could form later today. An Air Force reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system. The low is forecast to move generally westward or northwestward during the next couple of days and interests along the U.S. east coast should closely monitor the progress of this system.
The low pressure area is seen in the center of this satellite image, taken at 19:25 UTC (3:25 p.m. EDT). The image was created from data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-12), which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was created by NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Some computer models during the mid-afternoon of Sept.7 project the low pressure area could come into the southeastern U.S. or may come into North Carolina. Either way, the computer models project that the system would then move north along the U.S. east coast. For updates, watches and warnings, visit the National Hurricane Center web site at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center
Image credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project
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